Hurt Locker - 1119 Words

Connor McLaughlin Mr. Rand Civic and Cultural Literacy II 12 October 2011 Hurt Locker: An Addiction To War The Hurt Locker can give almost anybody the nerves with its numerous suspenseful moments. But what lies inside all the tension filled scenes is a much deeper meaning. Kathryn Bigelow stresses an important message in this Oscar-winning epic. Although the film depicts the gruesome horrors of war, Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker is not an anti-war film. The Hurt Locker is a film about James’s addiction to war because it shows his desire tension risk filled scenes, his lack of resentment for the war, and his inability to integrate himself back into â€Å"normal society† It is clear from the beginning of the movie that it was going†¦show more content†¦How can it be considered an anti-war film if none of the characters question the reason for war, or any politicians for that matter? The film does not focus on the purpose of the war but more so on how the war is conducted. One of the more interesting parts of the movie is James’s reaction to the real word. It shows that James cannot cope in a civilian lifestyle. This is very evident when he goes back home to the States. In the supermarket he seems lost, a feeling he never really seemed to have in Iraq. He hesitates when he picks out a cereal; James never hesitated back in Iraq. His inability to cope with civilian society is also very evident when he is in his house. He tries to tell his ex-wife all about the stories he has from Iraq but she does not listen. It appears that being in a bomb squad is the only thing that he talks and cares about. The defining moment that explains James’s inability to be a civilian is when he talks his son. He says that there is only one thing in the world he loves. The next scene shows him going back to Iraq and putting the bomb suit back on. This scene in particular highlights his addiction to war. He was unable to have a happy life at home so he needed to go to the one place that made him happy. It can be compared to a drug addict going back into a relapse after a break. Although one can argue that James’s addiction to war is an effect of the war which would make the movie anti-war, the lastShow MoreRelated The Hurt Locker Essay2627 Words   |  11 Pagesjourney into The Hurt Locker, a critically acclaimed war movie written by Mark Boal and directed by Kathryn Bigelow (Hurt). The quote was written by former New York Times war correspondent, Chris Hedges and it perfectly sets the stage for a story that depicts just how potent and addicting war can be (Corliss). The 2008 movie won six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Actor in a Leading Role (â€Å"Nominees Winners†). The Hurt Locker is an exceptionalRead MoreThe Hurt Locker By Kathryn Bigelow1879 Words   |  8 PagesHollywood techniques. Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker is a film that break s many of cinema’s classical conventions. The film periodically takes the audience out of the main characters’ shoes, and places them into the enemy onlooker’s position. The film shatters not only the audience’s expectations going into the film, but also the identification that the viewer makes with the main characters. Because of various stylistic elements and disruptions, The Hurt Locker gives the audience an penetrating lookRead MoreMovie Analysis : Hurt Locker 1231 Words   |  5 PagesThe â€Å"Hurt Locker† by the filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow conveys several messages but I believe that the main message to the theme of the movie is presented at the very beginning of the film in the form of a quote. The quote that appears in the film states, â€Å"The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug.† This quote comes from the book ‘War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning,’ by Chris Hedges, a reporter for The New York Times. I believe this message is the main theme of thisRead MoreMovie Analysis : The Hurt Locker 1344 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The Hurt Locker† by film maker Kathryn Bigelow conveys the theme of the movie at the very beginning. The theme is a simple quote by Chris Hedges which states, â€Å"The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug.† (Hedges)The film s greatest achievement is its ability to communicate the underlying truth of this quote consistently throughout the movie. Sergeant First Class William James, played by James Renner, captures this message through his job description, dialogueRead MoreMovie Analysis : The Hurt Locker1515 Words   |  7 Pagespockets of the population that have experienced warfare, the jarringly focused and rigid representation of EOD team leader Sergeant First Class William James in Katherine Bigelow’s film The Hurt Locker (2008) provides insight to a world that much of the audienc e will never experience. Although The Hurt Locker would be regarded as a â€Å"realistic† film in form and content by modern standards, the resulting product would not belong totally to â€Å"realist cinema† as defined by French theorist and film ciriticRead MoreThe Hurt Locker, Directed by Kathryn Bigelow Essay1070 Words   |  5 PagesAs most of you know by now the movie The Hurt Locker won the Oscar for movie of the year, and this makes me very angry. My civilian friends keep asking me why Im so mad, because most of them enjoyed watching it. Simply put its because the movie is full of lies, exaggerations, and ugly people. But its a movie they say, of course its not realistic. Thats strange.. because the back of The Hurt Locker box says Powerfully Realistic. Yet this movie is about as far from realism that a movieRead MoreThe Hurt Locker By Film Maker Kathryn Bigelow1273 Words   |  6 PagesThe Hurt Locker The Hurt Locker by film maker Kathryn Bigelow conveys the theme of the movie at the very beginning. The theme is a simple quote by Chris Hedges which states, â€Å"The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug.† (Hedges) The film s greatest achievement is its ability to communicate the underlying truth of this quote consistently throughout the movie. Sergeant First Class William James, played by James Renner, captures this message through his job descriptionRead MoreAnalysis Of The Opening Scene Of Kathryn Bigelow s The Hurt Locker1467 Words   |  6 PagesTechnically, the opening scene of Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker is unnecessary. The story doesn’t really start until Jeremy Renner’s Sgt. James first arrives ten minutes later. At that point, his adrenaline-based nature and his relationship with the men in his unit become the paramount focus of the film. However, for what Bigelow is doing, that opening scene is absolutely essential. For the viewer, this essentially extended TV teaser slams you into the action. Suddenly, you’re on the battlefieldRead MoreThe Hurt Locker and Zero Darks Use of Language to Portray the Life of Combatants in Battle2511 Words   |  10 Pages How do Kathryn Bigelow’s films The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty use language to portray the life of combatants in a battle? Introduction Kathryn Bigelow is one of the most iconic directors of the modern era. Her sense of depicting language remains unopposed. She is known for her specialty films of the war genre. Several of her works have been greatly appreciated, such as The Weight of Water, The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty, etc. These have won her several awards and secured her place as oneRead MoreHurt Locker and Ptsd1903 Words   |  8 PagesThe Hurt Locker and PTSD Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is an anxiety disorder that runs through our military system and is often vastly overlooked. It is a little-known mental health problem that is poorly understood. It can be traced back to the times of the Civil War and has been given names like shell-shocked syndrome, PTSD, soldiers heart, and combat fatigue. A soldier who has experienced combat or military exposure of any level of severity can be susceptible to this anxiety disorder and

We Must Focus On Gay Asian Men - 2021 Words

What is gaysian? A gaysian is typically a term used to describe any gay man who is also asian. This term however does extended to lesbians, but for this essay we will focus on gay asian men. This topic is very personal to me because I am also a gay asian male. Being gaysian puts one into two very different minority groups in america, you are both homosexual and asain with each of their own obstacles and stereotypes attached. With this combination however there are very specific issues that arise. Gaysain face many challenges and issues in america due to being who they are. In this paper we will look at the history of these challenges and issues and further analyze them from what we learned in class. First off I would like to look at stereotypes which surround gaysians and break them down into their root parts. As with any group of people, gaysians have their own set of stereotypes that are attached to their identity. Such stereotypes include being feminine, submissive, haveing small pinieses and being eternal bottoms. Worst of all there is a common thought that they are always looking for a white man or sugar daddy. I would first like to analyze and break these stereotypes down. Such stereotypes are made worse by â€Å"problematic media representation of gay males from asian cultural backgrounds†. The stereotype of always being feminine goes hand in hand with the demasculinization of all asian men. The demasculinization of asian men actually goes back to racial profiling andShow MoreRelatedFreedom to Love Essays1088 Words   |  5 Pagesthe world: Black, White, Asian, Straight, Gay, etc. However, not all of them are accepted by the society. Holding someone’s hand in public? It may be the sweetest, most innocent and natural of gesture of affection. However, when it comes to a couple with the same sex, things become completely different. People may think it is disgusting. Therefore, gay couples have to tolerate others’ disgust looks and nasty words, or sometimes even worse -- a punch. The topic of whether we should support homosexualityRead MoreA Report On The Rate Of A Effective And A Program1413 Words   |  6 Pagesthe program to include: 1) â€Å"Personal and community Mpowerment 2) Diffusion of new behaviors through social networks 3) Peer influence putting HIV prevention within the context of other compelling issues for young gay/bisexual men (e.g. social issues) 4) Community building 5) Using gay-positive approaches† (Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, 2014, para. 3). The MP operates in its own physical space within the community, which functions as the headquarters for social outreach, social events, andRead MoreSaudi Arabian and Canadian Culture844 Words   |  4 Pageswill have Saudi Arabia and Canada as the focus. I am going to start by define what Culture means, introduce the countries and talk about the Points in my curriculum goal. About culture The concept culture have some difficult meanings. One of them is culture as in music, preforming, theatre and so. The other meaning of it is culture as in Peoples Identity. It tells something about who you are, where you come from, and what you believe in, in this way, we can see that People have different cultureRead More Interracial Intimacy: The Regulation of Race and Romance Essay1516 Words   |  7 PagesInterracial Intimacy: The Regulation of Race and Romance Works Cited Missing Regardless of our social rhetoric of color-blindness, when it comes to choosing a spouse we seem to be remarkably aware of color, at least we were legally for more than 200 years and despite legal permission, society still exacts a social opinion on the matter. Law professor Rachel Moran examines this issue in Interracial Intimacy: The Regulation of Race and Romance and argues that the promise of racial justice is tiedRead MoreWhat Makes A Leader? Essay2105 Words   |  9 Pagesthink of Greek organization executive board members? Do they think of football players? Do they think of the graduate students and professionals they interact with? Do they think of themselves? In this paper, I will introduce not only the topic of men and masculinities in collegiate leadership (and what all that means), but also explain the separate identities of â€Å"male† and â€Å"leader†, elaborate on what the intersection of those identities look like, give information on other intersections of identitiesRead MorePortrayal of Asian Americans3456 Words   |  14 Pagesresearch focused on the coverage of Asian Americans in contemporary mass media. The following types of media were researched:  · Music  · Television  · Films  · Magazines I gave several examples where Asian Americans were used to play very simple characters. These roles were defined by stereotypes that exist in America. I also researched instances on counter actions taken by Asian Americans to protest against these negative images. My research also has examples of Asians that have succeeded in breakingRead MoreEssay Minorities in Congress4213 Words   |  17 Pagesthat anyone can be elected to Congress, so long as they meet the qualifications of the Constitution. So long as you meet the age and residency requirements you are indeed qualified to be a candidate for Congress.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If we take a more in-depth look at the composition of Congress we see a body disproportionate with its Nation. Congress has maintained a fairly homogenous make-up since its founding even into the year 2001. This conclusion raises no eye brows as both the executive and judicial branchesRead MoreBlack Womanhood And Intersectionality : Analysis1983 Words   |  8 Pagesblack women are often left out when discussing modern feminism, she gave reference to how in analyses about either racism or gender oppression black women are often forgotten to be mentioned because the focus of gender oppression lays primarily on the experiences of a white woman and on Black men when talking about racism, they often forget to mention a black woman’s experience. A black woman’s experience if mentioned would consist of both gender oppression and racism. â€Å"While all women are oppressedRead MoreThe Federal Aviation Administration Is The Governing Force Of Aviation Essay1630 Words   |  7 Pagesaviation related regulations. They proudly advertise on their employment opportunity site by saying â€Å"our inclusive culture is defined by our values and we continuously seek employees from all backgrounds with distinctive ideas, perspectives†¦.and talents† [4]. There are numerous employee programs designed for minority groups such as FAA GLOBE- Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual Employees, NBCFAE- National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees with Disabilities and PWC- Professional Women ControllersRead MoreThe Federal Aviation Administration Is The Governing Force Of Aviation Essay1630 Words   |  7 Pagesaviation related regulations. They proudly advertise on their employment opportunity site by saying â€Å"our inclusive culture is defined by our values and we continuously seek employees from all backgrounds with dist inctive ideas, perspectives†¦.and talents† [4]. There are numerous employee programs designed for minority groups such as FAA GLOBE- Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual Employees, NBCFAE- National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees with Disabilities and PWC- Professional Women Controllers

English as a Global Language Free Essays

Inroduction This is a long term desire which was in my mind on Globalization Of English. As we see the World most of the people speak english Some as their native language and some othe ras a second language and specially some learn english to connect or communicater with other people. So many people says it si an global language But It is not the worlds’ 1st highest spoken language. We will write a custom essay sample on English as a Global Language or any similar topic only for you Order Now Its only 2nd highest spoken language. Now a question raises for me i think for others too â€Å"how can english language be the Global language there raises the problem Any way i have find somwe points to clarify English as a gobal language So we will just check out to clear all our doubts English As A Global Language over the past year I’ve been searching, whether that English is well on its way to being the global language. Typically, my friends look puzzled about why I would even bother about it. They say firmly, Of course. Then they start talking about the Internet. It’s not that I believe they’re actually wrong. But the idea of English as a global language doesn’t mean what they think it does — at least, not according to people I’ve interviewed whose professions are bound up especially closely in what happens to the English language. English has inarguably achieved some sort of global status. Whenever we turn on the news to find out what’s happening in East Asia, or the Balkans, or Africa, or South America, or practically anyplace, local people are being interviewed and telling us about it in English. Related article: Causes of Mass Failure in English Language Indeed, by now lists of facts about the amazing reach of our language may have begun to sound awfully familiar. Have we heard these particular facts before, or only others like them? . It is the official language of the European Central Bank, even though the bank is in Frankfurt and neither Britain nor any other predominantly English-speaking country is a member of the European Monetary Union. It is the language in which black parents in South Africa overwhelmingly wish their children to be educated. This little fact comes from British sources How to cite English as a Global Language, Essay examples

Japan Essay Paper Example For Students

Japan Essay Paper Word Count: 2329 The occupation ofwas, from start to finish, an American operation. General Douglans MacArthur, sole supreme commander of the Allied Power was in charge. The Americans had insufficient men to make a military government of Japan possible; so t hey decided to act through the existing Japanese gobernment. General Mac Arthur became, except in name, dictator of Japan. He imposed his will on Japan. Demilitarization was speedily carried out, demobilization of the former imperial forces was complet ed by early 1946. Japan was extensively fire bomded during the second world war. The stench of sewer gas, rotting garbage, and the acrid smell of ashes and scorched debris pervaded the air. The Japanese people had to live in the damp, and col d of the concrete buildings, because they were the only ones left. Little remained of the vulnerable wooden frame, tile roof dwelling lived in by most Japanese. When the first signs of winter set in, the occupation forces immediately took over all the s team-heated buildings. The Japanese were out in the cold in the first post war winter fuel was very hard to find, a family was considered lucky if they had a small barely glowing charcoal brazier to huddle around. That next summer in random spots new ho uses were built, each house was standardized at 216 square feet, and required 2400 board feet of material in order to be built. A master plan for a modernistic city had been drafted, but it was cast aside because of the lack of time before the next winte r. The thousands of people who lived in railroad stations and public par ks needed housing. All the Japanese heard was democracy from the Americans. All they cared about was food. General MacAruther asked the government to send food, when they refus ed he sent another telegram that said, Send me food, or send me bullets. American troops were forbidden to eat local food, as to keep from cutting from cutting into the sparse local supply. No food was was brought in expressly for the Japanese durning the first six months after the American presence there. Herbert Hoover, serving as chairman of a special presidential advisory committee, recommended minimum imports to Japan of 870,000 tons of food to be distributed in different urban areas. Fi sh, the source of so much of the protein in the Japanese diet, were no longer available in adequate quantities because the fishing fleet, particularly the large vessels, had been badly decimated by the war and because the U.S.S.R. closed off the fishing g rounds in the north. The most important aspect of the democratization policy was the adoption of a new constitution and its supporting legislation. When the Japanese government proved too confused or too reluctant to come up with a constitutional reform that satisfied MacArthur, he had his own staff draft a new constitution in February 1946. This, with only minor changes, was then adopted by the Japanese government in the form of an imperial amendment to the 1889 constitution and went into effect on May 3, 1947. The new Constitution was a perfection of the British parliamentary form of government that the Japanese had been moving toward in the 1920s. Supreme political power was assigned to the Diet. Cabinets were made responsible to the Diet by having the prime minister elected by the lower house. The House of Peers was replaced by an elected House of Councillors. The judicial system was made as independent of executive interference as possible, and a newly created supreme court was given the power to review the constitutionality of laws. Local governments were given greatly increased powers. .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347 , .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347 .postImageUrl , .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347 , .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347:hover , .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347:visited , .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347:active { border:0!important; } .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347:active , .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347 .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ucadbebdc7af293f61202597cba90b347:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: This Coastal Village In Italy Was The Subject Of A Famous 1953 Essay By John Steinbeck The Emperor was reduced to being a symbol of the unity of the nation. Japanese began to see him in person. He went to hospitals, schools, mines, industrial plants; he broke ground for public buildings and snipped tape at the opening of gates and highways. He was steered here and there, shown things, and kept muttering, Ah so, ah so. People started to call him Ah-so-san. Suddenly the puybli c began to take this shy, ill-at-ease man to their hearts. They saw in him something of their own conqured

Gettysburg Essays (1332 words) - Gettysburg Battlefield,

Gettysburg This most famous and most important Civil War Battle occurred over three hot summer days, July 1 to July 3, 1863, around the small market town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It began as a skirmish but by the time it ended, it involved 160,00 Americans. Before the battle, major cities in the North such as Philadelphia, Baltimore and even Washington itself, were under threat of attack from General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia which had crossed the Potomac River and marched into Pennsylvania. the Union Army of the Potomac under its new and untried commander, General George G. Meade, marched to intercept Lee. On Tuesday morning, June 30, an infantry brigade of Confederate soldiers searching for shoes headed toward Gettysburg (population about 2,400). The Confederate commander looked through his field glasses and spotted a long column of Federal cavalry heading toward the town. He withdrew his brigade and informed his superior, Hen. Henry Heth, who in turn told his superior, A.P. Hill, he would go back the following morning and ?get those shoes?. This kinda of tells you how much of an advantage the North had over the South. Desperate bare-footed men risked their lives for shoes. Wednesday, July 1, two divisions of Confederates headed back to Gettysburg. They ran into Federal cavalry west of the town at Willoughby Run (I have Willoughby Run on my model here) and the skirmish began. Events quickly escalated. Lee rushed 25,000 men to the scene while the Union had less than 20,000. After much fierce fighting and heavy casualties on both sides, the Federals were pushed back through the town of Gettysburg and regrouped south of the town along the high ground near the cemetery (which is here on my map). Lee ordered Confederate General R.S. Ewell to seize the high ground from the battle tired Federals . Gen. Ewell hesitated to attack thereby giving the Union troops a chance to dig in along Cemetery Ridge and bring in reinforcements with artillery. By the time Lee realized Ewell had not attacked, it was too late to attempt the attack. Meade arrived at the area and thought it was an ideal place to do battle with the Rebel army. He expected a massive number of Union soldiers totaling up to 100,000to arrive and strengthen his defensive position. Confederate General James Lonstreet saw the Union position as nearly impenetrable and told Lee it should be left alone. He argued that the Confederate Army should instead move east between the Union Army and Washington and build a defensive position thus forcing the Federals to attack them instead. But Lee believed his army was invincible and he also didn't have his cavalry which served as his eyes and ears. With his cavalry he could track the Unions troop movements. Cavalry leader Jev Stuart had gone off with his troops to harass the Federals leaving Lee with a disadvantage. Lee decided to attack the Union Army's defensive position at the southern end of Cemetery Ridge which he thought was less defended. Around 10 a.m. the next morning, Thursday, July 2, Gen. Lonstreet was ordered by Lee to attack. but Lonstreet was quite slow in getting his troops into position and didn't even attack them until 4 p.m. that afternoon. This gave the Union Army more time to strengthen their position. When Longstreet attacked, some of the most bitter fighting of the Civil War erupted at places now part of American military folklore such as Little Round Top, Devil's Den, the Wheat Field and the Peach Orchard (which can all be seen on my model). Longstreet took the Peach Orchard but was driven back at Little Round Top. About 6:30 p.m. Gen. Ewell attacked the Union Line from the north and east at Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill (which can be seen on my model also). The attack lasted into darkness but was finally decided unsuccessful at Cemetery Hill, although Rebels seized some trenches on Culp's Hill. By about 10:30 p.m., the day's fighting came to and end. The Federals had lost some ground during the Rebel onslaught but still held the strong defensive position along Cemetery Ridge. Both sides regrouped and counted their causalities. Generals from each side gathered in war councils to plan for the coming day. Union commander Meade decided his army would remain in place and wait for Lee to attack. On the Confederate side, Longstreet once again tried to talk Lee out of attacking such a strong

Explore how Shakespeare examines the theme of revenge in Hamlet Essay Example

Explore how Shakespeare examines the theme of revenge in Hamlet Essay Example Explore how Shakespeare examines the theme of revenge in Hamlet Paper Explore how Shakespeare examines the theme of revenge in Hamlet Paper A revenge tragedy is a drama in which the dominant motive is revenge for a real or imagined injury; it was a favourite form of English tragedy in the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras and found its highest expression in William Shakespeares: Hamlet. It was written and performed during the first part of the seventeenth century to satisfy the middle and upper classes desire for violence and horror, as many of their lives lacked spontaneity and excitement. Like many other playwrights during his time, Shakespeare borrowed ideas and plots from previous literary works for many of his own plays. The content of Hamlet is most likely to be derived from Senecas favourite materials of murder, revenge, ghosts, mutilation and carnage. Hamlet is based on the deplorable plot about a Prince of Denmark, whose uncle selfishly murders his father the King, marries the Princes mother and claims the throne as King of Denmark. The content within this play would completely shock an audience of the Elizabethan era as it was deemed wholly inexcusable to murder a King and for a person to marry their sister-in-law as they believed this was dishonourable and incestuous. In the context of when this was performed, it would have been socially unacceptable as though they are not blood related, it is the Royal family and there was therefore a huge importance placed on tradition and family honour. Shakespeare went far beyond making hesitation a personal characteristic of Hamlets, but introduced a range of significant ambiguities into the play that even the audience cannot determine with certainty. For instance, whether Hamlets mother, Gertrude, shares in Claudiuss guilt; whether Hamlet continues to love Ophelia even as he rejects her, in Act III; whether Ophelias death is suicide or accident; whether the ghost offers consistent knowledge, or seeks to deceive and tempt Hamlet; and, perhaps most importantly, whether Hamlet would be morally justified in taking revenge on his uncle. During the Elizabethan era, it was inadmissible for a person to take revenge and kill someone especially if they were a King, and was believed that this would almost certainly result in God punishing them by sending them to Hell the biggest fear to an audience living in seventeenth century England, which was extremely religious. One of the scenes that Shakespeares theme of revenge becomes truly evident is; Act 1 scene 5, in which the Ghost of Old King Hamlet reveals that he was killed by his brother Claudius, and demands revenge. Shakespeare uses very effective language during the Ghosts speech and highlights the main incentive for Hamlet to seek revenge; The serpent that did sting thy fathers life Now wears his crown. [Line 39-40] The metaphor of Claudius as a snake reflects his sly character and deceit as it can be linked to Satan in the Garden of Eden, when he deceived Adam and Eve in the Bible [Genesis]. The Ghost uses imperative sentences and so is portrayed as commanding. He also infers that he wants this to be done quickly; Haste me to knowt, that I with wings as swift The last word is associated with speed stressing that he wants a quick revenge. Old King Hamlets ghost deems Claudius behaviour as foul, strange and unnatural, referring to his murderous and incestuous nature. This would have a significant dramatic impact as a typical Jacobean audience were mostly devout Christians. In the Old Testament in the Bible, the Jews were instructed to seek revenge; an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a life for a life [Exodus, chapt.21], but in the New Testament Jesus taught Christians to love their enemies and turn the other cheek [Luke chapt. 6]. The audience would have been compelled by this situation as an inner conflict appears in Hamlet, he is torn in two because; on one side he is angry that Gertrude, his mum, is married to Claudius so promptly and wants to avenge his fathers death. The audiences reaction would have been especially contrasting to our 21st century reaction as they would have been shocked and disgusted by what they would have probably labelled the love affair between Gertrude and Claudius. In our contemporary society, the media constantly surrounds us with such stories of love within families that our culture has become almost desensitised to such things, and so would not be shocked at all. Our reaction would have also been different because as a country we have become secular, and so I dont think we as an audience would have taken the Ghost seriously as we dont in every respect believe in spirits. Elizabethans believed that not only did Ghosts and spirits make appearances, but that they were vital as they played the role of the messenger. They therefore would have been gripped and it would be more credible for them. On the other side however; Hamlet is scared and indecisive about his dilemma to seek revenge. The Divine Right of Kings meant that the King was ordained by God and if you murdered a King, you would surely go to Hell. O all you host of heaven! O earth! What else? [Line 92] His emotion is displayed by punctuation and repetition, and his worries of seeking revenge and being punished cause the delay. Throughout this scene, we also take part in Hamlets internal confusion of how to exact his revenge. This may provide an explanation for some critics, such as Samuel Johnson, who question why Hamlet is, throughout the whole play, rather an instrument than an agent. I agree because after he has convicted the King, he makes no attempt to punish him, and Claudius death is at last affected by an incident which Hamlet has no part in producing, but seizes the moment. On the other hand we see that Hamlet does try to kill Claudius; for example when he creeps up behind him when he is praying, ready to strike. He then concludes not to as he decides that if he kills him while the King is praying or repenting, that he will undeniably burn in Hell. Shakespeare provides two different types of revenge heroes so that the audience is aware of the striking contrast between Prince Hamlet and Laertes; Hamlet continuously delays while Laertes seeks immediate revenge. They are an antithesis as theyre two entirely different personalities from two completely different backgrounds and upbringings, and Laertes is used to emphasize Hamlets flaws. Hamlet is from a very privileged family; with Christian morals at the core whereas Laertes lacks not only the Princes education and morals but also the mental equipment which Hamlet argued in his soliloquy is needed to distinguish between man and beast. He is able to behave as an uncomplicated revenge hero, because unlike Hamlet, he disregards the moral objections. Because of this, he becomes the classical stereotypical hero as he is ruled by passion and anger, whereas Hamlet is bound by his thoughts. The contrast of how Laertes deals with anger and distress very differently to Hamlet is shown in Act 5 scene 1 (Ophelias funeral). Shakespeare undermines Laertes kind of character, as he presents him as pretentious and pompous, as at both his father and sisters funerals, he seems more affected by the appearances than the fact that his loved ones are dead. When he jumps into Ophelias grave, it is over the top and unnecessary and contrasts Hamlets simple statement; I loved Ophelia. We as the audience may find his actions and language comical as does Hamlet. He mocks him and asks him; What is he whose grief Bears such an emphasis, whose phrase of sorrow Conjures the wandring stars and makes the, stand Like wonder-wounded hearers?

The GeoScot Ltd Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The GeoScot Ltd - Case Study Example To motivate the new and old members of the organization, it is proposed that several strategies be used. By sharing company information with all employees, mentoring the new workforce, integrating the work environment to work in teams and giving personal rewards on good performance are some of the strategies that will definitely increase the motivation. However with the expansion, there is a need to divide the office into two segments. Although an ideal option would be to integrate all employees in the old building, but due to lack of space and due to the disadvantages of shifting the office to another location, having two separate offices is the best option. This way the new employees are in the new building and the old employees in the old office, however both offices will be synced and interaction will be kept strong to integrate their functions. By doing this the experienced and the young graduates will be able to communicate and learn from each other which is essential for any o rganization. This recruitment will be done using the 'Realistic Job Preview' strategy in which the prospective geologists will be given exciting offers and shown the brilliance of GeoScot as well as a chance of earning a bright future for themselves. The drug tested, drug-free workforce will be shown to the world hence improving the reputation of the company and increasing the chances of earning better employees and contracts with partners in the future. Contents Contents 3 Hiring a New HR Manager 4 Factors to Keep in Mind 4 Cost 4 Personal Characteristics/Skills 5 Need for Evaluation 5 Company Dynamics 6 Company Policy 6 Total Employees 6 Decision 7 Motivation 7 Hygiene Factor 7 Mentoring helps in Motivation 8 Share Company Information 9 Integrated Work Environment 9 Encourage Groups and Teams 10 New Blood versus Old Blood 10 New Information 11 Different Perspective of the Market 11 Globalization 11 Location Decision 12 Recruitment Strategy 13 Job Description 14 Selection Devices 14 Application Form 14 Interview 15 Paper n Pencil Test 15 Assessment Centre 15 Drug Testing 15 Advantages 16 Disadvantages 16 Need Creation 17 Creating Awareness 17 Education about Drug Testing 17 Explaining the Need 17 References 18 Hiring a New HR Manager Employing a HR manager is a big decision for a company like GeoScot Ltd. since it is a small sized company and in its introductory phase. Usually when hiring any employee, there needs to be a complete evaluation of the candidates before any decision can be made. For the situation the company is in, the current requirements and the future needs all have to be kept in mind before the decision of part time or permanent HR manager is taken. Factors to Keep in Mind There are various factors that can influence the decision one way or the other. Cost The cost plays a major part in the decision making. A part time employee hired on a contract instead of on a permanent basis can give many economic benefits as well (Zhu, 2005). For example, GeoScot may need to invest in various funds related to each permanent employee, some of which is even paid to the employee when he/she leaves the organization. All these expenses are nil in case of contractual employees. So, hiring an employee on a contractual basis would be economically suitable as well. But since the organization is in the running for 3 years now, it would have some available funding to hire a full time HR manager.

Personal journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Personal journal - Essay Example Over time, the regular bullying has shattered his confidence and he loathing in self-pity and slowly contempt begins to rise in him, right? Not only his actual social experience in the school good but his fake social experience in Facebook can also be a pain. When he sees people his age, his so-called friends enjoying their lives they deserve to, he feels bad about himself. The status messages of others pinch him and ultimately have a nagative impact on his mind. It makes sense, right? It seems that Facebook in a way is a breeder of competitiveness, jealousy and a forum of show-off. Facebook show-off-ers, people who change their status like a zillion times a day and post every teeny-tiny detail of their life online. If Facebook was actual world, such people would be holding large loudspeakers. But I guess we should look at the positives of Facebook, connecting friends and bringing people together like they did in Egypt and Morroco social media revolutions.

Exploring Another Ethnicity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Exploring Another Ethnicity - Essay Example The distinct ethnic groups have diverse attitudes, rituals, actions, religious traits, and cultural beliefs. As such, ethnicity plays a big role in the American society although the American society rarely defines people according to their ethnic groups (O'Neil Web). My Ethnicity is both Arab and Hispanic. This paper seeks to address another ethnic group that I do not belong. In this case, I will address the Indian American ethnic group as part of the America society. To achieve this, I will describe rituals, actions, religious aspects, cultures, and morals of an Indian American wedding that I attended. Indeed, it was my first time to attend an Indian American wedding and the entire event was culturally strange, informing, and somehow entertaining to me. Notably, most Indian American is Hindus and as such, the wedding ceremony was in a Hindu setting unlike my normal Muslim setting. My Feelings in an Indian American Wedding Ceremony Actually, the whole setting was completely new to me and although I had previously heard of the uniqueness of the Indian weddings, I have never been a witness. As such, I had much anxiety that derived mixed feelings as the reality of the wedding came to me. To some extent, I had expectations that any wedding must derive a lot of fun but was equally aware that the difference in cultures would deny me such fun, as it would be challenging to follow the proceedings of the ceremony. The different rituals and cultural dimensions that the wedding to me. More so, the Hindu religion aspects and even the language in application created loneliness and a feeling of isolation during the wedding. Indeed, everybody was in a joyous mood and I equally tried to adapt to the celebratory mood but I could rarely understand the various procedures adopted in the ceremony. However, with the help of my Indian friend, I would manage to glimpse and understand some happenings in the Indian American wedding. My Feelings in an Indian and an African American Event This situation was somehow similar to an African American wedding ceremony that I attended in a Christian setting. Indeed, the feeling of isolation of the real time happenings was still eminent in that Christian setting. Indeed, the Christian and the Hindu religion are quite new to me as I profess the Muslim religion. Moreover, the Indian and the black American traditions, rituals, and traditions are different from the Hispanic and Arabic. As such, my earlier situation was significantly similar to the reference situation where I attended the wedding ceremony in an Indian cultural setting. In both instances, I would struggle to understand the language in application, the rituals, and the cultures as seen in their dressing and code of conduct. Influence of Group Membership, Race, and Personality in Interpretation My group membership, race, and personal attributes are however fundamental in interpreting the situation. Actually, the members in our group include people from different et hnic groups and hence I have lived to embrace cultural diversity. As such, I can interpret that any wedding creates a source of joy and is of cultural importance to any ethnic group. Therefore, I interpret that the wedding ceremony in the Indian America setting is important to their culture. On the other hand, my race accommodates cultural diversity and respects other cultures and their traditions. Hence, my race helps me to deduce the importance of such a wedding

Components of the International Political System

Components of the International Political System International Political System I. International Political System and Its Components Pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Heraclitus said that the only thing constant in this world is change. Taking this statement, he believes that people must not only accept the changes happening, moreover, they must know how to celebrate it.[1] By trying to look around, one can clearly see the things that have changed and are continuously changing; some getting better, some becoming worse, others are mixed, name it, the world has it. Among the most common things that have changed and/or modified over the years are the value of every care the value of currency against the other, monetary inflation rate, voting behavior of people, climate, language, technology, among others. Despite the fact of these changes happening, each state has its own way of coping, mobilizing, promoting and even recreating to it and has a parallel effect to the global society. It is very important to recognize these changes for it will be one of the bases in order to provide answer to the question that will be solved in this paper: As of now, do we have an international political system? After thorough research and analysis, the stand of this paper acclaims that yes, as of now, we do have an international political system. In this paper, arguments related to government structure, behavior of the populace, power, and development will be presented in order to toughen its claim that there is international political system nowadays and its presence today was brought about by the different actions of the people in the yesteryears and significant events that had happened then. Before proceeding to the points that will strengthen the claim, it is important to unlock first the complex terms used in the formulating the question and break it into smaller ideas. The question at hand can be divided into three parts in order to make sure that at the end, there will be a proper riposte. For the first part, the question suggests a certain time frame as to when the answer must be based on, which is the present time, â€Å"as of now,† next, a certain manifestation is being searched upon, â€Å"do we have,† and lastly, the main factor that is being considered, the â€Å"international political system.† Since the first and second parts of the query are relating on the third one, this time, it is necessary to define the said system and explain it for this will greatly help in guiding the points that will be presented on the latter part of this paper. The term â€Å"international political system† is comprised of three different terms that carry different significant meaning in the study of Political Science and this calls for identifying each before understanding it as a single thought. First to be identified is the system. System is the composite formed by a structured set of interacting units.[2] Unit is the entity composed of various sub groups, organizations, communities, and many individuals, sufficiently cohesive to have actor quality (i.e. to be capable of conscious decision-making), and sufficiently independent to be differentiated from others and to have standing at the higher levels (e.g. states, nations, transnational firms).[3] To highlight, it is important that the system must have interacting units, meaning, there is reciprocal action or influences between such. Otherwise, it cannot be considered as a system. Next is politics. It might be best characterized as the constrained use of social power – the study of the nature and source of those constraints and the techniques for the use of social power within those constraints.[4] It can also be lowered to an idea of chasing interests and decisions. Whenever an individual is faced with choices or when a state is choosing to possible decisions on issue of just and unjust for the populace, they fall to the same ground, politics. To be given meaning lastly is the term international. This term was fashioned by Jeremy Bentham and he footnoted in his work that the word international, it must be acknowledged, is a new one; though, it is hoped, sufficiently analogous and intelligible. It is calculated to express, in a more significant way, the branch of the law which goes commonly under the name of the law of nations: an appellation so uncharacteristic that, were, it not force of custom, it would seem rather to refer to international jurisprudence.[5] From this definition, he only wanted to imply that while there are laws that can be implemented exclusively within the territory of every state, on the other hand, there is also law, an international law, that is being followed and must be abide by all the states that recognize such since they share a common region or organizational goal. Example of this is the UNCLOS or the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It lays down a comprehensive regime of law a nd order in the worlds oceans and seas establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources.[6] Through UNCLOS, contradicting claims of every state relative to world’s oceans and seas are being put into table, subjected to presentation of evidences, similar in a trial court, and draws the judgment from the substantiations offered by each of the state. Having defined the concepts that make up the idea of international political system, this time, it is significant to draw the definition of IPS itself. From the delineations provided, it can be illustrated that an international political system simply means that it is a system with the same components or units that are interacting between each other or amongst one another, dependent to every other units within it, and has a trajectory of similar, related, or parallel goal or purpose. Reaching this definition, it only provides that if the system that we currently have in the society today do not fit in the three major qualifications of [a.] interacting units, [b.] dependent to each or one another, and [c.] has analogous goal, it can obviously be declared that we do not have an international political system. For the next pages, these factors will be the foundation of the paper’s stand. II. State and International Government Organizations A better way to proceed to next part of this paper is by citing a clichà © quote which has been attributed to International Relations for quite a long time, from Lord Palmerston, and he said â€Å"We have no permanent allies, we have no permanent enemies, we only have permanent interests.†[7] Seeing the status quo, of different states shifting alliances, focused on constantly claiming territories, and partnership with other countries for strengthening military defenses, Lord Palmerston was never wrong even it was already more than a century ago when he mentioned it. Security is important for a state since it greatly affects the populace, economy, the government and its sovereignty. If the state’s security is threatened, it does not only put the people into the brink of harm, but moreover, it places the entire territory beyond the threshold of peace, thus, violence. Because of these possibilities, it is significant that a state must establish alliance with other state or be part of an international government organization. Being part of the international organization brings the concept of international systems or the largest conglomerates of interacting or interdependent units that have no system level above them.[8] International government organizations exist to help the states handle issues that they cannot alone and they also create cooperation between the states.[9] By being part of an international government organization, it is true that at this point, the member state does not only consider what is solely good and beneficial for his country, but then it learns to recognize the existence of other states and realize, in one way or another, their importance to itself. International government organizations help each country to fully understand and be educated about the process of diplomacy. Process is what units are actually doing in the system.[10] Diplomacy is the process wherein they send representative, called a diplomat, to other state, or into an IGO to conduct arbitration and settle state disputes. The study of the concentration and distribution of power in the international system is an important topic in the study of world politics because of a presumed correlation with the likelihood of war.[11] This is why, as mentioned, diplomacy is important and participation with the international government organizations is beneficial because it greatly influences in maintaining a state and the entire region’s peace, cooperation and security. IGOs such as United Nations, World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund; and the regional organizations like Association of Southeast Nations and North Atlantic Treaty Organization, greatly help in meeting the needs of the states which has affiliation to these organizations. They aid in the healthcare, security, financial needs of the member state and they debate on issues to determine the best solution for problems arising in the states and the organization as a whole. III. The Three Major Qualifications Going back, I have mentioned that if the system that we currently have in the society today do not fit in the three major qualifications of [a.] interacting units, [b.] dependent to each or one another, and [c.] has analogous goal, it can obviously be declared that we do not have an international political system. In brief, this paper strongly confirms that presently, there is International Political System. One of the strongest points to prove it is the presence of order in the society. There are laws that are being followed, there are international government organizations that have the same goal which is to help every member state for its development, and the units here, or the groups or organizations with an actor-quality like decision-making, were able to have connections, relations, and interactions in various fields be it for economic purposes, cooperation for stronger bond of the organization and for active participation of every member states. From the very start, the question itself used the phrase â€Å"as of now†, and for this, I will also cite the specific proof of the presence of IPS in the present time. First is the serious effort of the United Nations in finding way to help the Fijian UN peacekeepers captured by the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda. Just last Sunday, Filipino p eacekeepers were able to escape from the rebels. The UN has also offered aid to the nearly  three million  Syrian refugees it has registered in neighboring countries.[12] Another, the ASEAN Integration will be put into effect for less than a year and a half from now until the self-imposed due date of end-2015.[13] These are the proofs that the units follow a certain system in the political grounds of the society today which creates ordered processes. [1] John Mansley Robinson,An Introduction to Early Greek Philosophy, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1968), 91 [2] Barry Buzan and Richar Little, International Systems in World History: Remaking the Study of International Relations, (New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 2000), 442. [3] Ibid. p. 442. [4] Robert E. Goodin and Hans Dieter-Klingemann, A New Handbook of Political Science, (Oxford: Oxford University Press Inc., 1998),p. 4. [5] M. W. Janis, Jeremy Bentham and the Fashioning of â€Å"International Law,† (The American Journal of International Law, 1984), pp. 405-418 [6] Daniel Hollis, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, The Encyclopedia of Earth, 2010), www.eoearth.org/view/article/156775. [7] David Brown, Palmerston and the Politics of Foreign Policy, 1846-1855 (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2002), pp. 82-83. [8] Barry Buzan and Richard Little, International Systems in World History: Remaking the Study of International Relations, (New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 2000), pp. 69. [9] Henderson. Understanding International Law, 33. [10] Buzan and Little, International Systems in World History: Remaking the Study of International Relations, 80. [11] Diana Richards, A Chaotic Model of Concentration in the International System, (International Studies Quarterly 1993), 37, pp. 55-72. [12] Ben Hubbard, (2014, August 31). Affiliate of Al Qaeda Confirms Capture of U.N. Peacekeepers in Syria. Retrieved August 31, 2014, from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/01/world/middleeast/un-peacekeepers-captured-in-syria.html?_r=0 [13] Rommel W. Domingo. (2014, September 1). Asean inches closer to economic integration. Retrieved September 1, 2014, from Inquirer.net: http://business.inquirer.net/177832/asean-inches-closer-to-economic-integration

Death and Grief in Mid-Term Break :: Mid-Term Break Essays

In the poem Mid-Term Break by Seamus Heaney, the ideas of death, trauma, grief and finality are explored. The poem itself is as haunting as it is brilliantly executed. The poem depicts a boy arriving home from boarding school, to where he is informed of the tragic death of his younger brother, whose doomed fate indelibly marks the narrator, whom is the boy’s older brother. The boy recounts the experience of losing a loved one. The author has incorporated many elements and style in a subtle and distinct manner.    The poem depicts a boy arriving home from school, â€Å"moaning in the college sick bay† to hear the news that his four year old brother has been killed in an accident. Upon arriving home, â€Å"I met my father crying.† This shows how death can cause much grief and trauma, as well as confusion. Here we can see that the stereotypical roles of the parents have been reversed/exchanged, with the father crying, and the boy’s mother, â€Å"Coughed out angry, tearless sighs.† It can be seen/evident, that deaths were quite common, â€Å"He had always taken funerals in his stride.† But no-one expected the death to hit quite so close to home†¦ to the heart. And then we see the tables have turned; the parents no longer were the spectators of the funerals, now that their own flesh and blood had been taken away from them.    The theme within the poem is subtly expressed, with an almost childlike innocence.   The theme is set out in a simple manner, yet pays much attention to detail. The theme is one of â€Å"finality.† Hence the title playing a huge role   in the revealing of the theme. â€Å"Mid-Term Break† suggests finality†¦ of one’s life†¦. Time. Along with death brings finality, and along with finality comes the repurcussions of death, such as trauma and   grief for all involved.    The emotions of the poem are beautifully poignant, and this allows the reader to be transported to a world of different experience, such as the repression. The mood within the poem has   a somber touch with an eerie silence. The poem positions the reader to come away with mixed emotions- anger, grief, confusion†¦ all of which the topic of death brings with it. This leaves the audience truly captivated with the simple text that represents so much emotion.    There are many images depicted in the poem, which   is what ultimately draws the audience   into it’s graps/ The impenatrable, life-altering consequences of death and the secrets of adolescence bring the poem to life.

6.05 Rate and Collision Theory Essay

Does surface area affect dissolving of Alka-Seltzer tablets? Materials: 1. solo cups 2. Alka-Seltzer tablets 3. Timer 4. Measuring Cup 5. Thermometer Procedures: 1. I placed out two of my solo cups on the counter 2. Then I put 1 cup of room temperature water into each cup. 3. Then put one Alka-Seltzer Tablet in one cup and time it until it dissolves completely. 4. In the second cup I put in a crushed up Alka- Seltzer tablet and timed it until it dissolved. 5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 one more time. Crushed Alka-Seltzer 21.86 seconds 23.52 seconds Whole Alka-Seltzer 29.15 seconds 35.33 seconds Discussion and Conclusion: Answer the following questions in complete sentences. 1. What two factors did you investigate in your procedure, and why did you choose to compare these two factors? The two factors I investigated were surface area and Alka-Seltzer. I decided to pick those if the surface area made the Alka-seltzer dissolves faster. 2. What other factors did you need to control during your investigation? Explain how you controlled each one in your procedure. Factors that I needed to control in my experiment was the temperature of water, how many Alka-Seltzer tablets to put in, and how much water to use in the cups. I had a thermometer to make sure that when I done my two trials that they both had the same temperature of water, I only put one tablet per cup, and I made sure to have the same amount of water in each cup I used. 3. What was your prediction about the results of each factor tested in your two lab procedures? Explain your predictions based on your knowledge of the dissolving process, collision theory, and reaction rates. My predictions of the results on this lab were right. I figured that if the Alka-Seltzer were crushed up it would make it more easier to dissolve since they were in little pieces instead of one big tablet. 4. In your own words, explain the collision theory, and what is necessary for a collision to be successful? Collision theory is a theory that when molecules collide in a certain way with the certain amount of energy they start to form new substances. 5. A specific catalyst was not provided for this reaction, but catalysts are useful for increasing the rate of many slow reactions. In your own words, give a detailed explanation of how catalysts can increase the rate of a reaction or process? Catalysts can increase the rate of a reaction or process because they help speed things up by reducing the amount of energy required for the reaction to happen.

4 Tips for Effective Classroom Management

4 Tips for Effective Classroom Management Classroom management is simply the techniques teachers use to maintain control in the classroom. Educators employ a variety of strategies and techniques to ensure that students are organized, on task, well-behaved, and productive during the school day. A lack of effective classroom management can cause chaos and stress, which can create an unsatisfactory learning environment for students and an unsatisfactory work environment for the teacher. However, these tips will help you master classroom management and create a quality learning environment. Know Your Students and How They Learn Implementing successful classroom management strategies creates a positive learning environment for students and ensure that they successfully master the materials presented. How this is done can vary depending on student ages and personalities. By understanding the strengths and needs of students, you can better plan activities and lesson plans that allow for a cohesive and collaborative classroom. Teachers always want their students to succeed and thrive, but what that looks like for each individual might differ. Knowing student capabilities can greatly enhance your ability to help each individual succeed, and allows you to offer varied assessments and assignments that let students work at their own pace. This can be a challenge in larger classrooms, but versatility in the material is vital to ensure that everyone in the classroom is well-served. You can proactively plan for a wide variety of learning styles and personalities but plan to adjust your approach once you have a better idea of the students in your class. You might consider inviting students to be a part of setting goals for themselves and assessing how they learn best if age appropriate. If not, beginning the school year with a variety of activities and assessments can help you more easily determine what your class will need from you. Have a Strong Lesson Plan A key aspect of effective classroom management is knowing what youre going to do. The better your plan, the better your class will likely run. Map out your intended flow for the semester or year when planning, so you can ensure that you cover everything you need to get through. Its often easier to manage your classroom when you plan well in advance, and build in flexibility should you get ahead of schedule or behind. To help improve the collaborative aspect of your classroom, you might consider presenting the year-long or semester-long plan with students from the start, if age appropriate. This can often generate excitement and help students understand what they are working to overall. Have Clear Expectations for Students Students learn best when they know what is expected of them, and what they can expect from the teacher. While they tend to need daily routines, they also need to know how much they are expected to participate, what needs to go into presentations and projects, when tests might occur, and what their grading structure is like. They need to know what the teacher is looking for when assessing mastery of material and exactly how they will be assessed in their work and in their behavior. In terms of managing student conduct, outline what is considered positive and negative behavior in advance, and communicate with students quickly to warn them of inappropriate behavior. One middle school theater teacher in Virginia made up a clever series of hand signs representing a llama and her various moods. Depending on which lama sign the teacher aimed at the students, they would know that they need to pay attention, improve their behavior, and when they are really pushing the limits of proper classroom behavior. These signs helped students better understand how much they are positively or negatively impacting the class and were simple enough to allow the teacher to continue her lessons with minimal interruption, even while communicating with students on the fly. Her students embraced this system so much, that they asked for it to be used more often. Students need a variety of both routines and processes, as well as a balance of some free time. Its important to provide both the structured time and the free time to keep students engaged and feeling like they are part of the learning process themselves. Have Clear Expectations for Yourself Part of creating a positive learning experience and strong classroom management is ensuring that you have clear and realistic expectations for yourself. As the teacher, its important for you to have both routine elements, realistic expectations of student performance, and to know how to maintain your sense of humor when times get tough. There will absolutely days that wont go as planned, and remembering that this can be expected is vital to ensuring your own success. Managing a classroom is important to being an effective teacher, but it can take years to master classroom management skills. Younger teachers should actively look to more veteran teachers and administrators for advice and support when working to improve. Its important to remember that not every class will be a perfectly managed classroom, and how you learn from your mistakes and move forward is an important aspect of growing as an educator.

Narrative in Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Essay Example

Narrative in Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Essay Example Narrative in Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Essay Narrative in Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Essay Essay Topic: Hilarious Narrative Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is an American motion picture directed by Stanley Kramer about the madcap pursuit of $350,000 of stolen cash by a diverse and colourful group of strangers. Even before its release in 1963 it was well established as comedy caper, with a huge ensemble cast of some of the eras finest comedians and comic actors. Due to the changes made in cinema over the last four decades a modern day audience may not understand many of the verbal-jokes, and yet it is obvious through many of the visual-gags that this film played on many comedic techniques, as well as influencing other movies to this day, such a Rat Race, and most likely any modern day caper one can think of. There are three ways to categorize film genres; setting, mood, and format. The films location is defined as the setting; the emotional charge carried throughout the film is known as its mood; the film may also have been shot using particular equipment or presented in a specific manner, or format. However, there is much controversy as to whether film genre identifies merely the general overtone of the film or defines the films style. Some have argued that genre needs to be distinguished from film style. A films style concerns the choices made about cinematography, editing, and sound, and a particular style can be applied to any genre. Whereas film genres identify the manifest content of film, film styles identify the manner by which any given films genre(s) is/are rendered for the screen. Style may be determined by plot structure, scenic design, lighting, cinematography, acting, and other intentional artistic components of the finished film product. Others argue that this distinction is too simplistic, since some genres are primarily recognizable by their styles. Many historians debate whether film noir truly is a genre rather than a style of film-making often emulated in the periods heyday. The opening credits of the movie are animated, which was not uncommon for the period in which it was made, especially for comedy movies. This establishes the films genre before an actor has even crossed the screen, as it relies on the audiences previous knowledge of what might be expected from such a film with an animated opening. The animation is essentially a visual representation of the title, as it shows a globe being distorted and manipulated in various ways which mirror certain events of the movie. This animation is actually a 3 minute round up of the movie, as it displays key events in chronological order and gives the audience a sneak preview of some of the hilarity that will ensue come the start of the movie. As well as the small tidbits of prophetic animation, absurdist humour is also something used throughout this movie; present from the opening credits, and continued into the very narrative of the film. This surrealism is carried over to cinematographical, performance and editing aspects of the movie. This can be described as form-imitating-meaning, in the sense that the movies bizarre premise, of four complete strangers looking for the buried three-hundred and fifty gees of a crazed old man they find dying near the road, is reflected in the canted camera angles, the alternating of fast and slow shot changes and the manner in which the four men speak. This form of outlandish and slightly eccentric comedy was common in the 1960s, and was copied relentlessly with movies such as Help! This queer manner of presenting a movie proved popular with audiences, as it lent itself to heightening the humour present in the more conventional gags of 60s slapstick comedy. Contradictions are frequently used throughout this film, both verbal and visual, and are integral to the overall narrative of the piece, as they reflect the madness the title is referring to, as well as adding to the absurd and illogical atmosphere. Lines such as I am a liar and The only thing you are sure of is that nothing is sure are frequently used in this movie, marking the instances where deception and dishonesty occur. This adds to the comedy on numerous levels, as no character within the movies immediately catches on to the betrayal at hand when such a contradictory line is said, despite it being made painfully obvious the audience. This form of humour, where a character misses or misunderstands a situation, and ends up in some form of hilarious predicament is a staple mark of slapstick comedy caper m ovies, going hand in hand with the humour associated with a characters ignorance. One must remember the era of film production this was created in, as many of the jokes used in this movie are now considered to be clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, and act almost as stereotypes for a comedy movie. However, at the time humour like this was considered to be highly sophisticated, and often reflected the comic-styling of whom ever was portraying a certain character The film opens on a stretch of curved, winding road somewhere in the Southern California desert. The camera follows the progress of a black car as it haphazardly weaves in between the truck and three cars that are driving ahead of him, as he does this car horns and loud, screeching tires can be heard. This gives the impression that the occupant of the black car has little regard for other drivers, and is either driving at breakneck speed to get somewhere soon, or he is being chased. This immediately sets the tone for the rest of the movie, starting as they mean to go on, as it were. This opening shot establishes the movie to have a theme of fast, dangerous car chases with highly comical consequences. The shot cuts to one inside the black car, shot from the backseat, so only the back of the driver can be seen; his rigid stance, with his elbows sticking out and his knuckles white over the driving wheel, coupled with his continuous honking of his horn are very telling to the viewer rega rding what this character is like and solidifies the previous assumption that he is in fact running away from something. The very fact that the camera is only focusing on the black car and its occupant tells the audience that he is an important character to the plot. Following this, we see the black car and its driver veer off the road and over a small cliff. At this point many techniques which are more commonly associated with action films are utilized, such as rapid zoom in, slow motion and viewing the car from multiple angles as it flies off the road. It can be easily argued that this is an example of satire, as the techniques used seem to be highly exaggerated; with the slow motion descent of the car being incredibly lengthy, and changing shot angle and perspective no less than 15 times. Satire is something common in all forms of comedy, and generates response in a movie as it allows a viewer to relate what theyve just seen to the original format; these mental comparisons expand the sense of surrealism already present in the movie, and show how important that sense of strangeness is vital to the movie. Perhaps this movies most obvious comic device is the use of visual metaphors; when the man in the black car is dying; with his last breath he quite literally kicks the bucket. This technique is used over and over in the film, using physical slapstick comedy to provide an unspoken narrative which is easily understood and greatly enjoyed by the audience. Overall, I believe this movie uses its style to effortlessly convey its meaning and narrative. However, I believe it would be unfair to say that this movie used generic genre conventions, as there were none at the time of its creation. If anything, this movie started certain generic genre traits, and influences many films even to this day.

Force Field Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Force Field - Essay Example The implication is that, the teacher-librarian must be allowed to play the role of the proactive team player. Within the school environment, a school librarian promotes cooperation through constant advocacy of social modification, particularly through appreciating people and stirring their confidence in the librarian’s functions. Basically, improved student learning requires librarians who are respected and admired by both the students and the faculty. For any school, the administration’s role in the development and maintenance of strong library programs is inevitable where improving student learning is the main objective (Haycock 83-84). However, without the recognition and support of librarians and teacher-librarians, the attitude by the administration, teachers, and students changes to view librarians as sources of distress. Consequently, the school librarian will not be viewed as a crucial aspect of students’ lifelong learning. Other negative consequences include lack of staff commitment to teaching, poorly managed library services like lack of up-to-date collections, low or lack of individual student library use besides class visitation, lack of integration of information literacy instructions into the curriculum, and rare collaboration with teachers among others (Hartzell 12-13). In my opinion, collaboration between school librarians and teachers requires administration support since this allows librarians to experience role expansion allowing them to deliver supplementary and critical services like research support that identifies crucial information for use in improved administrative decisions (Haycork 27) Additionally, administration support allows librarians to support targeted students including special needs, new teachers and counsellors. This is possible only when the librarian is adaptable and flexible and when the teachers understand curriculum goals. These forces can be

Health Care Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health Care Finance - Essay Example This act aims at punishing all those who: give false certifications or false information, pretend to be in need of medical necessity or self referrals which allow a physician to gain money through referring a patient to a facility in which he has a monetary interest. All matters like these are presented to the False Claims Act who intervenes through several ways: acting as a plaintiff, allowing the realtor to prosecute on behalf of the US government or dismissing the complaint if it is against government policy. An instance like this date back to 1998 when the Assistant Secretary of Legislation was asked to review the healthcare department as incorrect billing had led to a loss of $6 billion. (Morris) Instances like these can also be presented and placed under the False Claims Act. In 2005 the dramatic deficits made by the government forced the Deficit Reduction Act to allow the Congress to decide that the Centers of Medicaid and its services(CMS) were to establish the Medicaid Integrity Plan. This plan was created to suit two purposes: to use contractors who would identify overpayments and audit claims and to provide support to combat fraud and abuse (HHS.gov). The most efficient manner for eradicating frauds is to deploy precautionary measures to avoid even its initiation.

Electrons in Atoms Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Electrons in Atoms - Research Paper Example This paper sought to study electrons in atoms; their history, science and applications. Both case study and descriptive research designs were employed r. Secondary sources were the main data sources used in this study. The first discovery of an electron was made by Sir John Joseph Thompson when he was studying Mysterious rays, today’s cathode rays in 1898 (Richards). Thompson made a very bold suggestion the mysterious rays were made up particles that were smaller than atoms, which he named corpuscles. Thompson further suggested that corpuscles might be the component of all the matter in an atom (AIP). By then the atom was believed to be the smallest indivisible particle of matter; hence the Thompsons theory was controversial until he, together with other scientists and proved it experimentally. Thompson’s suggestion that cathode rays were made of corpuscles later turned to be electrons, tiny, with a negative charge and the fundamental parts of an atom turned to be correct. In the mid-nineteenth century, an experiment of a glass tube with wires implanted in opposite sides, air pumped out, and a high voltage applied was very popular. Lovely glow patterns were made inside the tube. The experiment was improved by a German physicist in 1859, and the fluorescent glow was produced where the cathode light reached the glass. This experiment was a proof that the cathode emitted some kind ray (AIP). Speculations were made by physicists, including Thompson concerning these mysterious rays. Some thought they were waves like light waves while others, including Thompson thought they were particles. More experiments were made. A magnet was observed to push the rays about. Heinrich Hertz, a German Physicist, noted that the mysterious rays were not deflected by an electric field in a cathode ray tube as was expected for charged particles. More confusion engulfed scientists, and more experiments were needed to resolve the uncertainties. Jean Perrin, a French

Hunted House Essay Example for Free

Hunted House Essay Nobodydared to go in empty house in an isolated part of the village . Eventually, the landscape of the empty house was shady,lush and green, no one is brave enough to hunt for wildfigs. The beautiful and evergreen nature surrounding the empty house was damp and soggy always. After the F.Sc examinations, my peers and I decided to go for camping the empty house since we had enough of studying books and would like to investigate about the mystery of that house. It was supposed to be a two days camping trip. We equipped ourselves with the necessary camping gear and enough food to last for the two days. We walked deep inside the village and reached at a huge and old empty house. As soon as we arrived there, Hammad approaches all of us to enter the house since the journey was quite difficult and tiring. We stepped in the house to fill our empty stomachs with the food that we had brought but we realized that the condition of the house was incredibly dirty and dusty. The ceiling was fully covered with spider webs whereas the floor was covered with dried leaves. Hence, we managed to clear up the place before start eating our meal.Then, we went walking around the house and suddenly Hammad started screaming â€Å"Aww!!!†. He saw a human skull inside a drawer. All of us were astonished with the discovery of human skull in the mystery house. At that moment, we could feel our blood stream was flushing and cold. All of us quickly rushed out of the house and decided to go back home. It was our badluck because it was raining and falling snow heavily outside. We had no choice but to wait until the rain stops. Fear was written on all our face, especially since we had discovered a human skull! All of us were in low spirits. Even Hammad was silent and nervous who is actually a noisy maker in our group. The hours dragged past but the rain continued. Instead we had no choice but to spend the night in the mysterious house. Although we were exhausted, we could not rest our tired minds and bodies with the demand of sleep.At midnight, Ali woke up to go to toilet and asked me to accompany him till the door. While I was waiting for him, I saw a â€Å"fully white dressed creature without head holding an axe† was hunting for food in the middle of night at the balcony of the house. I could not believe my own eyes and started reciting prayer according to our religion Islam. Then, I quietly went back to sleep after Ali was back. The next morning, we decided to make our way back to home and quickly packed all our goods. On the way heading back, I told them about the horrifying creature that I saw last night. All of them were nervous and frighten.On our way back, we met with a group of villagers who normallywashes their clothes at a bank of canal, which is situated about 2km away from the empty house. Therefore, we took that opportunity to ask them about the mystery of the empty house and the ‘human skull’. According to them, beforethis there was a young lady who got murdered by the communist soldiers in the empty house. One of them tried to rape her but she managed to fight him back using an axe. Unfortunately, she lost her head in that battle. Hence, the human skull belongs to the young lady and the white creature is her spirit who is hunting people for her revenge.After that incident, no one dared to go the house. Then, my friends and I thank the villagers and made our way for home. We decided not to go to the empty house anymore after this.

Lack Of Cultural Appreciation Of Others Education Essay

Lack Of Cultural Appreciation Of Others Education Essay The scenario shows how students have the lack of cultural appreciation of others. The school and teachers need to create a program which ensures that students understand the difference in cultures and how people need to work and live in harmony. It is important that school take initiative and educate students about different cultures and how they are crucial to Australian survival. The scenario highlights how some students feel that others are inferior because they belong to different religions. The school has developed an integrated planning matrix. It has ensured that planning processes from macro to micro levels from school to classroom or program to lesson. Thus, the scenario shows that the school needs to implement the guidelines of intercultural understanding through the design of lessons. The school has designed five lessons, two English, one maths, one biology and one history lesson. Each lesson contains concepts about cultural understanding, in order for students to appreciate other cultures. Intercultural understanding draws on studentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s growing knowledge, understanding and critical awareness of their own and others perspective(Intercultural, 2012). In the scenario, it can be seen how students are not aware of each other culture and how some are stereotyping against other for no valid and just reason. The five lessons are aimed to increase the intercultural understanding of the students. Thus, the main aim is to avoid students discriminating against each other and to enhance a permanent harmony among them. Furthermore, the main aim is to make the students celebrate the fruits of multiculturalism among themselves. It is worth mentioning that the intercultural understanding is more apparent in some learning areas than others(Intercultural, 2012). However the school has decided to include intercultural understanding components in all the learning areas. One of the causes of racism in the scenario can be owing to the fact that the curriculum does not reflect the spirit of multiculturalism and intercultural understanding among students(Calder, 2000).It is essential that the Australian curriculum does contain information about others cultures, otherwise NESB students will be left out in the dark. Students in Australia deserve to be treated with justice and integrity. Thus, it is inappropriate to ignore the new composition of Australian population. It is important that the Australian curriculum adopt some of the proposed curriculum in this project for the sake of correcting the inbalance in the current curriculum. It is worth mentioning that every student needs to know that he or she has to right to discriminate against anyone based on race or religion. The lesson plan is developed according to the hypothetical scenario about students discriminating against each other which was based on religions. It is worth mentioning that the matrix used NSW board of studies curriculum for English for year 3 and 4(English, 2012) and the Australian curriculum that is known as acara(acara, 2012) Lesson 1 The key issue from the lesson is to familiarize students with Christianity and Hindu religions.Thus; students need to know in depth about others religions in order to appreciate it. The main aim of the lesson is to promote intercultural understanding among students in the classrooms, in order for them to behave better when they leave their schools. The lesson aims to make the students to value their own culture, their languages and beliefs. Furthermore, the lesson has aimed to value the culture and religions of others. Students have an opportunity to learn about two of the major religions in the world, such as Christianity and Hinduism. If students learn about other religions, then they will start to appreciate each one religion and culture. The lesson aims for students to achieve the following objectives: To understand the Australian culture. To appreciate the achievements of Australian pioneers and migrants. To value the English language. To practice the language with NESB classmates. Understand the culture and beliefs of Christian and Hindu. The activities for the lesson are aimed to introduce students to each other religions, in order to avoid the events in the scenario. The classroom is ought to be free from racism and discrimination. Lesson 2 The key issue from the lesson is to familiarize students with the Islamic religions. Thus many Islamic students are populating many schools. Furthermore, the Islamic community is normally facing discrimination. It is important that students learn about all religions and not to belief any rumour about any religion. The aim of the lesson is to promote intercultural understanding between all cultures in the classrooms, in order to prevent friction between students as the case in the scenario. The lesson has aimed to achieve the following objectives: To understand the Muslim culture. To appreciate the teaching of Islam. To value the English language in the context of Islam. To understand the culture and beliefs of Islam. It is so crucial that the activities educate students about major religions as Islam which makes up about 2% of the Australian population. The students have a chance to view a video about Islam which contradict the wrongful myth that Islam foster terrorism in the world. It is good to see that one of the activities ask Muslim students to pair with non-Muslim students in order to explain their own language, religion and culture. The events in the scenario could be avoided if students are briefed about each other religions Lesson 3 The key issue from the lesson is to familiarize students with the fact that Mathematics is basically the same. It is important that students are aware of the fact that Maths is not made only by Anglo-Saxon scholars but by other scholars from other cultures. The curriculum has to become a tool to promote the intercultural understanding in the classroom. The objectives of the lesson are as follow: To show that Maths is common in most culture. To show that all measurement units means the same but in different language. To show that similarity in Maths eases intercultural differences. The activities of the lesson are structured in the way that students need to compare units of measurements in both English and their native language. The main aim of the lesson is to show that Maths has been to explain to students that in all subjects which they do at school highlight the importance of intercultural understanding and the need to appreciate each other culture. It is worth mentioning that intercultural understanding in mathematics can be enhanced when students are exposed to a range of cultural traditions. Thus, students need to understand that mathematical expressions use universal symbols, while mathematical knowledge has its origin in many cultures(Curriculum, 2012). Lesson 4 The key issue from the lesson is to familiarize students with the fact that there are species of different shapes and functions. Furthermore, it highlights the fact that people are of different skin and colour and religions but they all share this earth as leaders over all living species from animal to vegetables. The objectives of the lesson are as follow: To show that species are different but they do need to live with each other. To show that the human body is same for each male and female counterpart despite that they have different skin colour and different cultural backgrounds. To show that everyone need to live in harmony even if we are all of different species. The activities of this lesson is so interesting where one of the activities is about how students are given an opportunity to look at one black and one white cat in order to prove that even they have different colour but they do have the same functions. Thus, the students will learn to live together in harmony with each other in the classroom and in the outer classroom. It is worth observing that there are opportunities in the science learning area to develop intercultural understanding. Thus, the students are given an opportunity to appreciate the contribution that diverse cultural perspectives have made to the development and diversity of science knowledge and application(Diversity, 2012). Lesson 5 The key issue from the lesson is to familiarize students with the fact that Australian history is a mix of white settlers, Aboriginals and the migrants who come from different countries. The history lesson is aimed to teach students about the importance of learning about how all cultures worked together to create this new state of Australia which is no longer just an Anglo-Saxon community but a community which embraces many cultures. This lesson is created to help students to avoid teasing each other and to enhance harmony between all students. The objectives of the lessons are as follow: To understand the creation of Australian state. To recognise the Aboriginals as the native Australians. To understand the contribution of Chinese and Africans in Australia. To understanding the concept of multiculturism in the classroom. To appreciate the history of the inclusion of many food from different cuisine across the globe. One of the activities of the lesson is the fact that students are to watch a DVD about the history of migration in Australia. Furthermore, the students are given a task to write a brief letter to their friends about the history of multiculturalism in Australia. It is worth mentioning that each lesson accompany a flowchart of the planning process and an integrated planning matrix. The majority of activities in all lessons aim to highlight the importance of intercultural understanding in the classroom.

The Difference Between Logical And Physical Design Of A Network :: Networks Telecommunications

Abstract This paper will explain several differences between a logical network design and the physical design of a network. Most people tend to think of it as the logical meaning the functional part and the physical as the seeing it part. With saying that one must understand that there is more to the logical and physical design of a network than just the functional and seeing parts. In order for one to understand the differences of how the two operate and work from one to the other, one would need more information than just the functionality and seeing parts. In the following paragraphs of this paper, by trying to outline what makes up the differences between logical and physical design of a network one should then understand his/her purpose. Connecting computers together to create a network greatly increases the communication capabilities and can even save a company substantial amounts of time and money. A well thought out network design from a small home network to a large corporate intranet can be a deciding factor in the success of a network. Two important steps in the designing of a successful network are the logical designing phase and physical designing phase. The difference between the two and the importance of each are explained in the following pages. When speaking of the network design world, one must understand the importance of what the logical network design is and how it works; in addition, one must know and understand what the physical network design is. These two common design types are different in several ways but first let's understand what they are. When looking at a logical network design, it easier to describe it as how the network will be structured, basically it focuses on all the logical aspects of the network. According to Webopedia, "the logical topology is the way that the signals act on the network media, or the way the data passes through the network from one device to the next without regard to the physical interconnection of the devices." http://www.bibiesse.org/digitctionary/logical_topology.shtml In a logical network layout, IP addresses are shown to be associated with each part of the network. "In most cases, the logical network is in a Class C network such as 192.168.0.0 with the default subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. Therefore, this type of network allows up to 254 hosts to be connected directly to it without the need of any routing." http://www.

Most and Least Important Factors in the Outbreak of Ww1

Which was the most important and least important factor in the outbreak of the First World War? In my opinion, the most important cause of the First World War was the Alliance System. By 1914, the main powers in Europe had been divided into two groups. These were: The Triple Alliance – Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy, and The Triple Entente – Britain, France and Russia. Although the point of creating these alliances was to avoid war, they meant that any conflict that broke out would increase in scale immediately because the other countries had to support them. The main rivalries were Germany and France over the capture of Alsace-Lorraine, Russia and Austria over the Balkans, and Britain and Germany over their navies and economic power. The Alliance System created a lot of competition between the rival countries, and possibly even the allies themselves, because, naturally, they all wanted to be the most powerful and influential in their group. This just increased the tension between everyone and strengthened each side for the inevitable war. On the other hand, I think the least important cause of the war was the Arms Race. The growing divide in Europe (caused by the Alliance System) had led to an arms race between the main countries. The French and German armies had more than doubled their forces, and all nations were making plans for war. The German Count Alfred von Schlieffen had come up with the Schlieffen Plan, which was to fight France and defeat them within six weeks, and then to turn back and defeat Russia. Unfortunately for them, they relied too much on hoping Russia would take more than six weeks to mobilise, which didn’t happen. Also, as the Germans went through Belgium to get into France, Belgium had a treaty with Britain which meant Britain automatically got involved. Austria was intimidated by Russia and needed Germany to succeed in defeating France, so they could then help them in fighting Russia. Russia had potentially millions of soldiers. This made them very powerful because they could overwhelm the opposition with sheer numbers, although they would have needed Britain’s industrial help because they were badly-equipped. France had a large, well equipped army. They had a plan called Plan 17. This was to charge across the frontiers and deep into Germany, forcing them to surrender. Britain was closely but secretly in collaboration with the French. They set up the BEF (British Expeditionary Force), which was 150,000 highly trained soldiers that could go and support France at any time. Although the Arms Race seems to have developed the preparations for war from each country, I don’t think that it actually caused any more problems between the countries. At this point, war was seen as inevitable and all the nations could do was prepare for what was to come as best as they could.