Saturday, January 25, 2020
The sanctity of life
The sanctity of life The Christian response to abortion in our western culture has been a matter of preserving the sanctity of life. Although it would seem to be cut and dry to a Christian that abortion violates that sanctity of life, it continues to face constitutional evolvement, differing worldviews, the scrutiny of the medical profession, and with respect to school text books. All of these concerns illustrate a wayward compass, lacking the ability to find true north. Society continues to weigh the simple yet complex definitions of personhood. Abortion is purported to be morally justified by pro-choice advocates in the postmodern culture. The question of what is right or wrong is argued within both sides of the issue. For instance the religious community cannot reach agreement cites Rothstein and Williams, (1983) what a person consists of or when a person begins life. This paper will contend that the postmodern attitude towards abortion has been characterized as ambivalent, and in a postmodern theistic society which has been exposed to liberal schools of thought changing Christian and family values to err on the side of science and convenience. Further, decision makers on the pro-choice side have used their agenda to further their secular beliefs through education, giving rise to sexual promiscuity. Additionally, there have been declines in moral thresholds, in theological literacy, and in respect for the importance of gender roles, resulting in societys ambivalence and a reduction in regard for the sanctity of life. Disputes over abortion are usually very heated due to the involvement of conflicting world views. Abortion is going to have difficulty attempting to reside within a Christian worldview, based purely on their opposing logic. Furthermore, abortion cannot maintain itself within the worldview of liberal postmodernism. Challengers of abortion are aware they are supporting unborn babies; although they may not be cognizant they are also supporting the Christian worldview. Also supporters of legal abortions identify that they are securing a womans right to choose even though they may not be completely aware of their support to the postmodern worldview. A worldview adds perspective and helps us identify with the world around us, and how we deduce and appraise not only what we see, but how we compare ourselves to our understanding of life. Religion has the ability to hone a persons worldview, which starts to develop and institute a moral awareness which tends to give form and shape our moral perspectives. (Durkheim 1954), Religion serves as a main source for determining right and wrong, good and bad, just and unjust.(p. 43). In order to have a suitable understanding of the postmodern view of abortion, both opposing worldviews must be examined in order to balance our understanding as to why a person in a theistic society embraces a pro-abortion stance. This comparison will also show why there is difficulty in finding a common ground, and why a postmodern worldview conversion or construction is not practical at this point, leading to the rise in secular decision making. Comparative analysis of two opposing worldviews: Man is a created being and has a composition pre-determined by an intelligent and purposeful design, as opposed to mans indiscriminate evolvement and has no fixed nature or design. Man is an immortal spirit being which indwells a mortal body, and in contrast, man is wholly a physical animal and or machine. Moral law governs universally through marriage, sexual activity, and family, and in contrast morality is culturally and or individually determined. (Luker, 1984) Argues that pro-choice activist women share almost no common premises and very little common language with antiabortion activist women; in particular, the worldviews and conceptions of motherhood held by the two different groups of women are antithetical. (p.2). The culture war on abortion has many fronts, and those who adhere to liberal postmodernism or answer to liberal postmodern ideology are likely to frame lawful abortion as a set of rights or privileges. Professor Stanley Hauerwas author of Theologically Understood goes on to say that Christians in America are tempted to think of issues like abortion primarily in legal terms such as rights. He explains rights as an agreement between members in a society, who have nothing in common. Professor Hauerwas states that within a liberal society such as ours, the law functions as a mediator of such agreements. He gives an example of our system of law by saying lawyers are to America what priests were to the medieval world. In other words according to professor Hauerwas, Is abortion right or wrong? Or is this abortion right or wrong? rather, the first question is, Why do Christians call abortion, abortion and with the first question goes a second, Why do Christians think that abortion is a morally problematic term? (p. 5). Professor Hauerwas demystifies years of elusions by calling abortion, abortion which is already an achievement based on principles. Lets call a spade a spade, pro-choice is really pro-abortion isnt it, or what about termination of pregnancy, and with the use of this terminology the postmodernist have reduced the churchs involvement, and reallocated the moral responsibility onto the medical profession. (Emerson, 1996) For most of the twentieth century, abortion was removed from public scrutiny by defining it as a question of medical judgment. (p. 44). Well by circumventing the church we can easily foretell any future decision making within a postmodern society towards abortion by defining that mistake as take God out of anything and it dies as pointed out here by Friedrich Nietzsche, parable of a madman Do we smell anything yet of Gods decomposition? Isnt this the crux of postmodern wisdom which is inserting Gods insignificance into the minds of our youth like a Botox injection giving off the same expression of emotion? As pointed out by (Sire, 2004) A culture cannot lose its philosophic center without the most serious of consequences, not just to the philosophy on which it was based but to the whole superstructure of culture and even each persons notion of who he or she is. When God dies, both the substance and the value of everything else die too. (p. 211). This leads me to my next point on Postmodernisms thinking on the sanctity of life, which has created a pro-abortion crisis in America. In the United States alone the abortion rates had increased, in 1974 898,000 to 1,533,000 in 1980. These figures tell us that on an average day in Washington D.C., our nations capital 4,257 abortions are outnumbering live births. Twenty-five percent of all pregnancies are terminated in this manner and forty percent among teenagers, and approximately twenty percent of all women in the United States have had a legal abortion. Sixty percent were under twenty five years of age, and eighty two percent were unmarried at the time of their abortions, and sixty nine percent of these individuals were white. This is the latest available information provided to us by researchers at the (Henshaw, Koonin Smith institute, 1991). The above information shows the influential state and the wide acceptance of abortion and its use as a solution rather than as a last resort. Another way we see secular conditioning, is through what we read, which raises the question are we neglecting to effectively teach any alternatives to abortions such as adoption? For a number of generations we have been stealth fully preconditioning society by removing God from public education. Here for example a member of the Texas board of education is reported saying (Castro, 2010)There seems to be a misinformed view of religion in American history, that America is somehow founded on Christianity, Mize said. We just ask that things be historically accurate.(Ã ¶7). The following message certainly points to a valid concern held by many Christians, and alludes to a valid misrepresentation on prolife options within our school textbooks. The following independent study is brought to us by (Kathy Shepherd Elaine Hall, 1994) from 1988 through 1993 sampling 27 textbooks representing 16 publishers covering a period of 6 years.(p. 267). They referenced topics such as, abortion and legal cases such as Roe v. Wade, pro-life, birth control, teen pregnancy, and reproduction. Citations for abortion were indexed more than 60 times and adoption citations were indexed under 13 headings. Also with this study acknowledgement to abortion was tendered 4 times more page space than adoption. That study certainly lessens the burden of understanding a postmodern view towards the ultimate decision to dismiss life, since a form of preconditioning has shown a dismissive slide of pen towards alternatives methods of abortion. (Geersten, 1977) The textbook often provides the central focus and organizing framework for courses, and students, in turn rely on textbooks as their most readily available source of information about the course topics. (p. 102). Postmodern theists are also finding difficulty with the abortion issue when it comes to their education as pointed out here, (Schmalzbauer, 1993) contends that Evangelicals for the most part tend to adhere to their education group rather than their religion with regards to their abortion attitudes. (p. 6). Education will no doubt reconstruct the minds of our youth as pointed out by (Evans, 2002) when he commented on Wuthnow, 1988 education is a more powerful opinion structuring force than religious discourse itself, and most studies find that the more education a respondent has, the more liberal his or her abortion attitudes. (p. 418). This adds to why a postmodern theistic society raises and nurtures its most influential citizens into embracing such secular ideas as Humanism, Naturalism, and Theistic Existentialism? (Bruce Steve, 1996) Postmodernism is here to stay and to evolve. It is a major paradigm shift that has vast and deep impact on the world. When modernity hits hard on Christianity, many sociologists predict the inevitable demise and even eradication of Christianity by secularism. (p. Ã ¶5). Also having the wrong personalities controlling how textbooks are studied can only point to the trickling down effect of God within the hearts of man. (Strickler and Danigelis, 1999) Point out that education is shaping the very future of Christendom. By the mid-1990s abortion had been legal for two decades, the population had become more educated and more secular, and other sociodemographic trends found abortion increasingly acceptable. (p. 188). Another reason our postmodern society leans towards abortion as a first consideration rather than as a last resort rests within their understanding of God. The postmodern cultures knowledge of the bible clearly illustrates the ease of which abortion decisions are made. According to the attitudes in society, the concept of God has not changed, and Americans declare their attitudes outline their public disposition. Timothy Renick, (2007) mentions a vast many Americans purport their own religious institutions take part in public strategy issues, and the majority of Congress members consult their individual religious values when voting on legislation. He further notes that America is still very Christian minded, more so than Israel is Jewish or Utah is Mormon. (Timothy Renick, 2007) Yet surveys show that the majority of [postmodern] Americans cannot name even one of the four Gospels, only one-third know that it was Jesus who delivered the Sermon on the Mount, and 10 percent think that Joan of Arc was Noahs wife. (Hey, at least they know that Noah was associated with an ark-or is that Arc?) (p. 26). (Timothy Renick, 2007) continues to paint a solemn picture of postmodern Christianitys understanding of the bible by saying, Many high school seniors think that Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife. Renick also claims that devout Christians are, on average, at least as ignorant about the facts of Christianity as are other Americans. Sixty percent of evangelicals think Jesus was born in Jerusalem; only 51 percent of the Jews surveyed made the same mistake. And things are not getting any better. (p. 26-27). (Renick, quotes Prothero, 2007) comments on America which has become a nation deeply religious and profoundly ignorant about religion.(26). References Schmalzbauer, John 1993 Evangelicals in the new class: Class versus subculture predictors of Ideology. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 32(4):330-342. Wuthnow, Robert 1988 the Restructuring of American Religion. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Geersten, R. (1977). The textbook: An ACIDS test. Teaching Sociology, 5, 101-120. Henshaw, S. K., Koonin, L. M., Smith, J. C. (1991). Characteristics of U.S. women having Abortions. Family Planning Perspectives, 23, 75-81. Bruce, (1996). Religion in the Modern World. Oxford. Oxford University Press. Emerson M. (1996). Through Tinted Glasses: Religion, Worldviews, and Abortion Attitudes. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 1996, vol. 35, No. 1. P. 41-55. April Castro, (2010) Texas Ed Board Set to Take 1st Vote since Primary. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wirestory?id=10058603page=1. Retrieved on April 9, 2010. Lokensgard, K. (AP 2009). Religious literacy, the First Amendment, and public education. Council of Societies for the Study of Religion Bulletin. 38(2), 41-45. Renick, T. M. (S 4 2007). Dumbed down: what Americans dont know about religion. Christian Century. 124(18), 26-29. Once again here we are asking how a Christian in a postmodern society can consider abortion as a viable solution to a complex moral issue. The abortion debate has polarized Americans like no other national problem since 9/11 or Watergate. The abortion issue has created a vast partitioning across Americas cultural, and religious lines, which is also evident at the individual, political, and ecclesiastical levels. (New International Version, 1984) You may say I am allowed to do anything. But I reply, Not everything is good for you. And even through I am allowed to do anything, I must not become a slave to anythingBut our bodies were not made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. (1 Cor. 6:12-13). Thomas Jefferson is regularly addressed as one of the finest proponents of religious freedom in the nineteenth century. In a letter dated 1816 he writes about moral decisions which he acknowledges the individual is heir to his own decision and no one else, (Lokensgard, 2009) But I have ever thought religion a concern purely between our God and our consciences, for which we were accountable to Him, and not to the priests (p. 43).
Friday, January 17, 2020
Banking Industry Essay
The Banking Industry was once a simple and reliable business that took deposits from investors at a lower interest rate and loaned it out to borrowers at a higher rate. However deregulation and technology led to a revolution in the Banking Industry that saw it transformed. Banks have become global industrial powerhouses that have created ever more complex products that use risk and securitisation in models that only PhD students can understand. Through technology development, banking services have become available 24 hours a day, 365 days a week, through ATMs, at online bankings, and in electronically enabled exchanges where everything from stocks to currency futures contracts can be traded . The Banking Industry at its core provides access to credit. In the lenders case, this includes access to their own savings and investments, and interest payments on those amounts. In the case of borrowers, it includes access to loans for the creditworthy, at a competitive interest rate. Banking services include transactional services, such as verification of account details, account balance details and the transfer of funds, as well as advisory services, that help individuals and institutions to properly plan and manage their finances. Online banking channels have become key in the last 10 years. The collapse of the Banking Industry in the Financial Crisis, however, means that some of the more extreme risk-taking and complex securitisation activities that banks increasingly engaged in since 2000 will be limited and carefully watched, to ensure that there is not another banking system meltdown in the future. Mortgage banking has been encompassing for the publicity or promotion of the various mortgage loans to investors as well as individuals in the mortgage business. Online banking services has developed the banking practices easier worldwide. Banking in the small business sector plays an important role. Find various banking services available for small businesses. Management Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals andobjectives using available resources efficiently and effectively. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization (a group of one or more people or entities) or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal.Resourcing encompasses the deployment and manipulation of human resources, financial resources, technological resources, andnatural resources. Since organizations can be viewed as systems, management can also be defined as human action, including design, to facilitate the production of useful outcomes from a system. This view opens the opportunity to ââ¬Ëmanageââ¬â¢ oneself, a prerequisite to attempting to manage others. Basic functions Management operates through various functions, often classified as planning, organizing, staffing, leading/directing, controlling/monitoring and motivation. * Planning: Deciding what needs to happen in the future (today, next week, next month, next year, over the next five years, etc.) and generating plans for action. * Organizing: (Implementation)pattern of relationships among workers, making optimum use of the resources required to enable the successful carrying out of plans. * Staffing: Job analysis, recruitment and hiring for appropriate jobs. * Leading/directing: Determining what must be done in a situation and getting people to do it. * Controlling/monitoring: Checking progress against plans. * Motivation: Motivation is also a kind of basic function of management, because without motivation, employees cannot work effectively. If motivation does not take place in an organization, then employees may not contribute to the other functions (which are usually set by top-level management). Basic roles * Interpersonal: roles that involve coordination and interaction with employees. * Informational: roles that involve handling, sharing, and analyzing information. * Decisional: roles that require decision-making. Management skills * Political: used to build a power base and establish connections. * Conceptual: used to analyze complex situations. * Interpersonal: used to communicate, motivate, mentor and delegate. * Diagnostic: ability to visualize most appropriate response to a situation. * Technical: Expertise in oneââ¬â¢s particular functional area.. Business Ethics Business ethics (also corporate ethics) is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations. Business ethics has both normative and descriptive dimensions. As a corporate practice and a career specialization, the field is primarily normative. Academics attempting to understand business behavior employ descriptive methods. The range and quantity of business ethical issues reflects the interaction of profit-maximizing behavior with non-economic concerns. Interest in business ethics accelerated dramatically during the 1980s and 1990s, both within major corporations and within academia. For example, today most major corporations promote their commitment to non-economic values under headings such as ethics codes and social responsibility charters. Adam Smith said, ââ¬Å"People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.â⬠[1] Governments use laws and regulations to point business behavior in what they perceive to be beneficial directions. Ethics implicitly regulates areas and details of behavior that lie beyond Business ethics reflects the philosophy of business, one of whose aims is to determine the fundamental purposes of a company. If a companyââ¬â¢s purpose is to maximize shareholder returns, then sacrificing profits to other concerns is a violation of its fiduciary responsibility. Corporate entities are legally considered as persons in USA and in most nations. The ââ¬Ëcorporate personsââ¬â¢ are legally entitled to the rights and liabilities due to citizens as persons. Economist Milton Friedman writes that corporate executivesââ¬â¢ ââ¬Å"responsibilityâ⬠¦ generally will be to make as much money as possible while conforming to their basic rules of the society, both those embodied in law and those embodied in ethical customâ⬠Friedman also said, ââ¬Å"the only entities who can have responsibilities are individuals â⬠¦ A business cannot have responsibilities. So the question is, do corporate executives, provided they stay within the law, have responsibilities in their business activities other than to make as much money for their stockholders as possible? And my answer to that is, no, they do not. A multi-country 2011 survey found support for this view among the ââ¬Å"informed publicâ⬠ranging from 30 to 80%. Duska views Friedmanââ¬â¢s argument as consequentialistrather than pragmatic, implying that unrestrained corporate freedom would benefit the most in long term. [ Similarly author business consultant Peter Drucker observed, ââ¬Å"There is neither a separate ethics of business nor is one neededâ⬠, implying that standards of personal ethics cover all business situations. However, Peter Drucker in another instance observed that the ultimate responsibility of company directors is not to harmââ¬âprimum non nocere. Another view of business is that it must exhibit corporate social responsibility (CSR): an umbrella term indicating that an ethical business must act as a responsible citizen of the communities in which it operates even at the cost of profits or other goals.In the US and most other nations corporate entities are legally treated as persons in some respects. For example, they can hold title to property, sue and be sued and are subject to taxation, although their free speech rights are limited. This can be interpreted to imply that they have independent ethical responsibilities. Duska argues that stakeholders have the right to expect a business to be ethical; if business has no ethical obligations, other institutions could make the same claim which would be counterproductive to the corporation. Ethical issues include the rights and duties between a company and its employees, suppliers, customers and neighbors, its fiduciaryresponsibility to its shareholders. Issues concerning relations between different companies include hostile take-overs and industrial espionage. Related issues include corporate governance;corporate social entrepreneurship; political contributions; legal issues such as the ethical debate over introducing a crime of corporate manslaughter; and the marketing of corporationsââ¬â¢ ethics policies.According to IBE/ Ipsos MORI research published in late 2012, the three major areas of public concern regarding business ethics in Britain are executive pay, corporate tax avoidance and bribery and corruption.
Thursday, January 9, 2020
The Reality of To Kill A Mockingbird Essay - 1445 Words
The Reality of To Kill A Mockingbird The novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, takes place during a racially intense time in history. Harper Leeââ¬â¢s novel was intended to bring a harsh sense of reality to the real world, and demonstrate how it really was during this time in history. This novel is set in Maycomb, Alabama, somewhere during the time period of 1925-1935. Times were hard for the citizens of Maycomb during this period, because of the depression. There are many fictional events in this novel related to non-fictional racial events in history. Leading the list of racial crimes would be hate crimes, such as lynching. Hate crimes are violent acts against people, property, or organizations due to the group to which theyâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Although the actual number of lynchings declined after 1892, the percentage of Black victims increased. (Gibson 1) There are 2805 documented victims of lynch mobs killed between 1882 and 1930 in ten southern states. Although mobs murdered almost 300 white men and women, the vast majority of almost 2,500 lynching victims were African-American. Of these black victims, 94 percent died in the hands of white lynch mobs. The scale of this carnage means that, on the average, a black man, woman, or child was murdered nearly once a week, every week, between 1882 and 1930 by a hate-driven white mob. (Braziel 1) On top of lynching, African Americanââ¬â¢s had to deal with hate groups, such as the Klu Klux Klan. William Joseph Simmons founded the second Ku Klux Klan in 1915 atop Stone Mountain, Georgia. Middle-class whites filled the ranks of the Ku Klux Klan. Many had worked hard to achieve a measure of economic independence, which they feared they might lose in an increasingly industrialized society. The typical 1920s Klansman managed or owned a small business known as a mom and pop store. They feared socialism and loudly denounced anything considered communist. The Klan achieved considerable political power in several states, including Indiana, Colorado, and Oklahoma. (Klu Klux Klan 1) Ku Klux Klan membership peaked in early 1924. Total figures depended on who was beingShow MoreRelatedLiterature Adds To Reality Essay1648 Words à |à 7 Pagesadds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in thi s respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become,â⬠said C.S. Lewis, noted author. This quote, to me, is the most appropriate description of the importance of literature in our lives. Literature reminds us of stories, epics, sacred scriptures and classical works of the ancient and modern times, in which the book To Kill a Mockingbird clearlyRead MoreSocial Difference in Too Kill a Mockingbird1277 Words à |à 6 Pagesdifferences in others. In Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird, the subject of social differences is the main theme for the book. The book adresses directly the major problem of racism per example and deals with it in its special way. Set in the 1930s, To Kill a Mockingbird examines very closely social differences at that time. Unfortunately, the social differences found in the 1930s are very different than those we face in 2007. To Kill a Mockingbird has become a cultural phenomenon. StudentsRead MoreA Mockingbird Is A Harmless Thing That Make s The World A Better Place?1352 Words à |à 6 PagesA mockingbird is a harmless thing that makes the world a better place. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee the mockingbird is Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, who are both pleasant peaceful people who would never do any harm. To kill a or bring harm to them would be a sin. Scouts father Atticus tells his children, ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢d rather you shoot tin cans in the backyard, but I know youââ¬â¢ll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hitââ¬â¢em, but remember itââ¬â¢s a sin to kill a mockingbird.â⬠(pRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Ethical Dilemma Essay1001 Words à |à 5 Pagesearth to meet both humane and societyââ¬â¢s criteria. In To Kill a Mockingbirdââ¬â¢s courtroom saga, the struggle to find balance in social norms and moral law engulfs the townââ¬â¢s perspective on race, poverty, and ignorance forcing its people to choose between the two. The enlightenment of empathy can not only be used to alleviate society from its own ignorance, but it can also solve the rhetorical clash of morality and social norms. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem and scout use their childish innocence to sparkRead MoreInjustice In To Kill A Mockingbird Essay813 Words à |à 4 Pagesemphasizes this through the symbolism and the metaphor of a mockingbird in her novel entitled To Kill a Mockingbird. The title, To Kill a Mockingbird is a metaphor developed through Arthur Radley and Tom Robinson that illustrates the injustice and prejudice that people face, despite their good nature, similarly to Muslims and Arabs today. Throughout the story, Arthur Radley and Tom Robinson are symbols of a mockingbird in Maycombââ¬â¢s society. A mockingbird takes form through Tom Robinson because of his innocenceRead MoreA Time to Kill and to Kill a Mockingbird1314 Words à |à 6 PagesThe movie based on John Grishams A Time to Kill is a Hollywoodized, modern-day version of To Kill a Mockingbird. Both movies employ many of the same themes and plot elements; but the former movie is one-dimensional and predictable while the latter is innovative and purposeful. The movie version of Harper Lees novel To Kill a Mockingbird is considered a classic film, whereas John Grishams adapted novel is merely another example of the money making efforts of Hollywood. Some of the movies moreRead MoreTheme Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird1374 Words à |à 6 Pages Harper Leeââ¬â¢s To Kill a Mockingbird is best known as a literary classic, telling the tale of a young girl named Jean Louise ââ¬Å"Scoutâ⬠Finchââ¬â¢s childhood in a southern Alabama town during the great depression. While the fate of a black male convicted of rape still looms in the synopsis. To Kill a Mockingbird the title of the novel, refers to a quote on page 119. Both said by Atticus Finch the town of Maycombs lawyer and Miss Maudie his neighbor, ââ¬Å"itââ¬â¢s a sin to kill a mockingbirdâ⬠. As said by Miss MaudieRead MoreTheme Of Symbolism In To Kill A Mockingbird791 Words à |à 4 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a multi-faceted novel which explores the principles and morals of people in the South during the 1930s. Mockingbirds are symbolic of the people that society abuse. Lee narrates the events of the novel using Scoutââ¬â¢s voice and uses this technique to add emotional context and develop themes. Themes of racial and classist prejudice are developed by Lee to challenge the reader. These techniques are all powerful ways to alter the views of the reader. MockingbirdsRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Character Analysis Essay838 Words à |à 4 PagesWe all have those special books that we hold close to our hearts due to the transformative affect they have upon us. Harper Leeââ¬â¢s, To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) is one such book. This story of discrimination may just alter the way we all view ourselves, others and the world we live in. Set in the 1930s throughout the Great Depression in South Alabama, the novel allows us all to come to the disturbing realisation that this novel remains as apt today as it did when it was first written 57 years agoRead More Comparing the Movies A Time to Kill, by John Grisham and To Kill a Mockingbird1285 Words à |à 6 Pages The movie based on John Grishams A Time to Kill is a Hollywoodized, modern-day version of To Kill a Mockingbird. Both movies employ many of the same themes and plot elements; but the former movie is one-dimensional and predictable while the latter is innovative and purposeful. The movie version of Harper Lees novel To Kill a Mockingbird is considered a classic film, whereas John Grisham?s adapted novel is merely another example of the money making efforts of Hollywood. Some of the movies
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
The Effects of Poverty on Education Essay - 1157 Words
In todayââ¬â¢s world people need to compete globally for jobs and one of the most important factors in getting a good paying job is education. However, even the best schools cannot overcome some of the obstacles placed in front of the students that walk through their doors. Poverty, chaotic home environments, discrepancies in exposure to technology, and lack of funding for schools all negatively impact the effort to educate children. In todayââ¬â¢s economic environment even the wealthiest states and districts are having to cut funding for education, while districts which were already teetering on the edge are now in an even worse position. In some schools children have to face not having enough books, paper for copies, severe overcrowding,â⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦With the current recession and foreclosure crisis, more families are facing homelessness than ever before. This presents additional struggles for children and the schools who educate them. Since many of the stude nts have no fixed place to stay, they could bounce from school to school providing no stability for education, or in some areas these children are transported back to their original home school sometimes causing kids to be on busses for long commutes. When children face a lack of stability in the classroom it is easier to fall behind, and teachers might only begin to see deficiencies in skills after observing work for a while it could lead a student to fall further behind every day. Even when children have a stable home there are other family life factors that can affect their progress at school. Child neglect, drugs, alcohol, gangs, violence, and hunger can all have a significant impact on how children learn both at school and at home. A childââ¬â¢s first educational experience should be at home, however with increasing use of drugs and alcohol, and sometimes unintentional neglect from not being able to afford quality daycare means that some children entering the classroom are w oefully unprepared. Although poverty affects every nationality there are races that traditionally are moreShow MoreRelatedThe Effects of Poverty on Education1061 Words à |à 4 PagesThe Cause and Effect of Poverty and Education Definition of poverty is used to define a condition of inability to satisfy ones basic needs of life-essential among which include; food, shelter, clothing and housing. It is the greatest modern form of slavery that humanity is suffering from. There are numerous chains of events of poverty leading to overall poor education. What is the poverty line anyway? According to the 2011 US Census Bureau, it is a family of four (two adults and two children underRead MorePoverty : The Effects On Education1796 Words à |à 8 PagesPoverty: The effects on Education Poverty has nothing to do with education, right? School is school and we all receive the same education no matter where we attend, right? All children have the same opportunity of the best modern schools no matter of their financial situation, right? The answer is no, no, and no. Poverty has a huge impact on a childââ¬â¢s education, mental stability, and future of financial freedoms. Poverty-stricken communities across America have a constant uphill battle to surviveRead MoreEffects Of Poverty On Education940 Words à |à 4 Pagesfamilies and children living in poverty in America day by day. Poverty is when youââ¬â¢re living in conditions below the average family. Many reasonââ¬â¢s poverty is caused is when adults do not complete high school and receive a low education to deal with their whole life. Also is caused by wnot being able to receive a job. ââ¬Å"According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 9.5 million of people who spent at least 27 weeks in the lab or force were poor.â⬠(Davis) Poverty is a big social issue in AmericaRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of Poverty On Education790 Words à |à 4 PagesThere are many issues children go through in life, that can make a negative impact on their education. Students who live in poverty go through more stressful situations at an earlier age. Those situations can keep them from having academic success because they have too many other distractions in their life. The schools that have more low income families are amongst those who have the lowest test scores and the highest drop out rates. For that reason, a child may not be able to succeed academicallyRead MoreExtreme Poverty : Causes, Effects, And Solutions902 Words à |à 4 Pagesin the world one of them is extreme poverty. Extreme poverty is an issue in many countries all over the world. There are several causes, effects, and solutions to this issue. Extreme poverty is living on under two dollars a day, migration, violence, lack of education, diseases, starvation and exploitation. Colombia is a country where there are people living on two dollars a day. A country where they are not getting the education that they need. In Colombia, aboutRead MoreEffects Of School Achievement On Children1306 Words à |à 6 Pageslife impacting. Often the only way out of poverty is an education that can provide them with a job which can meet their income needs. If a childââ¬â¢s school achievement is affected by poverty, they have a higher chance of dropping out and continuing poverty in their generation. Effects of school achievement are measured by if the child has repeated a grade, suspended or expelled, and/or dropped out before graduating. A large amount of children that live in poverty will repeat a grade due to limit educationalRead MoreGrowing Up Of Poverty : An Important Aspect That Maintains An Individual s Place Essay842 Words à |à 4 PagesENGL 1113 Comp I MWF 11:00 27th October 2016 Growing up in Poverty Economic status is an important aspect that maintains an individualââ¬â¢s place in the society. Economic status is the thing that matters more than gender, race or religion. Though it is not the actual fact but it is believed that you need to have an economic standard to create your identity in society. Society doesnââ¬â¢t give respect to poor and this is heart breaking. Poverty not only prevents you from getting a good and quality of lifeRead More So Rich, So Poor by Peter Edelman Essay1000 Words à |à 4 PagesWhile it has proven to be difficult to end poverty in America, Peter Edelman is optimistic. In his book So Rich, So Poor Edelman makes a call to action. There are four prominent ideas that underpin Edelmanââ¬â¢s reasoning throughout the book: (1) More people must understand why poverty is still so prevalent in America; (2) extreme poverty must be taken into consideration as a shocking 6 million Americansââ¬â¢ sole income was food stamps in 2011. This fact alone creates a sense of urgency that drives Edelman;Read MoreEffect Of Trade Openness On Developing Countries1591 Words à |à 7 Pagespaper viz. a single equation random effect panel regression model and a two equation instrumental variable panel regression model, both for the years 2000, 2005 and 2010. First, we estimate the single equationmodel. The aim of this model is to find out the effect of trade openness directly on poverty in developing countries. The following equation is estimated: p = a + b1 (tra) + b2 (infr) + b3 (edu) + b4 (health) + b5 (gdpcap) + e(1) where, ââ¬Ëpââ¬â¢ is poverty headcount ratio at $1.25 a day (PPP)Read MoreThe Effects Of Poverty On The United States1541 Words à |à 7 Pages12/07/2015 Professor Sirkin The Effects of Poverty on Education For those who live in the United States, some do not see the correlation between poverty and its effects on peopleââ¬â¢s behavior to their academics. Poverty affects many students at a young age depending on the location they are in as it prevents underprivileged kids to seek higher education. However, with new opportunities [in effect], kids in poverty can have the same education as privileged kids. Poverty stricken students are disadvantaged
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Personal Narrative Graduate Selection Committee Essay
ATTN: Graduate Selection Committee In todayââ¬â¢s digital world, young-peoples soft-skills are becoming far more valuable than content knowledge. From every school Iââ¬â¢ve worked with, visited, and competed against, the schools with the strongest sports programs seem to correlate with the strongest academic schools in our area. Then when I view how I can impact young-people the best, I feel the answer is as an athletic-administrator and as a coach, environments that soft skills such as teamwork, collaboration, and work ethic are stressed the most. Because of this, I am looking to take a leap in my career, by applying for acceptance in your Masterââ¬â¢s in Athletic Administration Program. Throughout two years in teaching and four years coaching, Iââ¬â¢ve understood the need to be a lifelong learner. When I got my bachelorââ¬â¢s degree, or when I attempted to run my first drills as a football coach, it amazed me how much I still had to learn, even if I was qualified to do the job. I try to practice this in my math classroom, as I continually try to improve my craft. Now in my second year I now trend more towards mastery learning, and standards-based grading. My reasoning behind this is my experiences with coaching. The education that happens in coaching is closer to a job, as itââ¬â¢s not just an average on a scale. If you have a running back group that canââ¬â¢t hang on to the ball, a coach does not just walk back and say, ââ¬Å"I guess we are going to fumble every carry today.â⬠I realized though I wasShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Service Learning On Residency Interviews1547 Words à |à 7 Pagesapplying for residency, students must distinguish the mselves from other applicants. A narrative based on service learning experiences, with its implication of commitment to service, has become an ââ¬Å"emerging gold standardâ⬠in residency personal statements. The aim of the study is to investigate how a narrative focused on the benefits of service learning in residency personal statements influence the resident selection process. METHODS Senior medical students completed a voluntary, confidential on-lineRead MoreMeasurable Achievements And Outcomes Of The Health Care Education1583 Words à |à 7 Pagesneed for further knowledge in the subject of health care education. The author felt that there was room to expand on this topic within the program by perhaps the addition of other education related courses. With the authorââ¬â¢s desire to teach at the graduate level, she may require further education and training that was beyond the ability of this course (and program) and will research additional courses to obtain a teaching certification. The Medical Writing course provided the author with the necessaryRead MoreThe Interpretive Design For High School Students Essay1682 Words à |à 7 Pagesundergraduate programs. The limitations of my research design is in the collection of data, as basic interpretive studies focus on using interviews to collect data while other designs garner data from multiple sources such as extensive field observations, personal artifacts, journals, and emails. Nevertheless, a basic interpretive design is best when collecting data through interviews and document analysis and as such triangulation will be achieved with through this medium. This will enhance the credibilityRead MoreQualitative Paradigm2550 Words à |à 11 PagesThe Qualitative Paradigm à The design of a research study begins with the selection of a topic and a paradigm. A paradigm is essentially a worldview, a whole framework of beliefs, values and methods within which research takes place. It is this world view within which researchers work. According to Cresswell (1994) A qualitative study is defined as an inquiry process of understanding a social or human problem, based on building a complex, holistic picture, formed with words, reporting detailed viewsRead MoreQualitative Paradigm2538 Words à |à 11 PagesThe Qualitative Paradigm à The design of a research study begins with the selection of a topic and a paradigm. A paradigm is essentially a worldview, a whole framework of beliefs, values and methods within which research takes place. It is this world view within which researchers work. According to Cresswell (1994) A qualitative study is defined as an inquiry process of understanding a social or human problem, based on building a complex, holistic picture, formed with words, reporting detailedRead MoreMethods of Qualitative of Data Collection19658 Words à |à 79 Pagesthe data will inform his research questions. How the researcher plans to use these methods, however, depends on several considerations. Chapter 1 presents an introductory discussion of qualitative methodological assumptions. As the grounding for a selection of methods, we extend that discussion here, using Brantlingerââ¬â¢s (1997) useful summary of seven categories of crucial assumptions for qualitative inquiry. The first concerns the researcherââ¬â¢s views of the nature of the research: Is the inquiry technicalRead MoreMastering Graduate Studies 1e32499 Words à |à 130 PagesACADEMIC INTEGRITY RESEARCH LIBRARY KNOWLEDGE SKILLS COMMUNICATION EXPECTATIONS CAREER PATH IMPRINT Title Mastering Graduate Studies EDITION 1 CONTRIBUTORS Editor: Alexis DiVincenzo Consulting Editors: Mark Alexander, Nicole Quow-Thomason Art Direction Senior Art Director: Miranda Hildebrand Art Development and Design: Jo DeSnyder-Rolfe Permissions contact Grand Canyon University 3300 W Camelback Rd Phoenix, AZ 85017 602.639.7500 Copyright Information Grand Canyon University. AllRead MoreJob Analysis13751 Words à |à 56 PagesPERSONNEL ASSESSMENT SPECIALIST JOB ANALYSIS: INTERPRETATION AND USE REPORT Prepared by the IPMAAC Ad Hoc Committee on Use of the Personnel Assessment Specialist Job Analysis: Donna L. Denning, Ph.D., Chair Nancy E. Abra ms, Ph.D. Marianne Bays, Ph.D. International Personnel Management Association Assessment Council 1995 TABLE OF CONTENTS Personnel Assessment Specialist Job Analysis: Interpretation and Use Report Abstract 2 Introduction and Background Task Analysis Task Inventory DevelopmentRead MoreHrm Case Study12223 Words à |à 49 PagesSpeaking with the in-charged supervisor of a branch of this bank Nelson found that something was wrong inside the branches. But unfortunately it was not known to Jonson. Jonson found out the main problem and it was high employee turnover. In this bank selection time of employee is very short and at the same time the new employer quit their job in a very short time. All branch supervisors hire their new employees without communicating with the home office or other branches. During the time of developmentRead MoreEvaluation Research Design Literature19283 Words à |à 78 Pages(4) a sample graduate task description for preparing a program evaluation research proposal. I. Comparing the Traditional Literature Review, Meta-Analysis, and Best Evidence Synthesis A. Suri (2000) explains that a single study is usually unable to generate generalizable results or definitively answer issues under investigation in the socio-behavioral sciences. Based on this assumption, Suri goes on to critique three contemporary methods of literature synthesis: traditional narrative reviews of research
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Communication between Men and Women Free Essays
As everyone knows by now, there is a difference between a man and a womans outer appearance. What some people do not realize is that a man and a woman are also different in communication techniques. Generally speaking, men and women fall into two categories when dealing with communication techniques. We will write a custom essay sample on Communication between Men and Women or any similar topic only for you Order Now When men talk, it is for giving information. Deborah Tannen says this informative speaking is report-talk. Report-talk as defined by Deborah Tannen is public speaking. Women on the other hand, use small talk to communicate. Small talk is a conversation which is usually considered to be short and meaningless. Deborah Tannen states that this communication technique of women is rapport-talk. Rapport-talk as defined by Deborah Tannen is private speaking. This essay will discuss the following: (1) How Deborah Tannen and John Gray are similar in respect to their views on communication between men and women (2) how Tannen and Gray are different in their views on communication between men and women (3) the effects that result from these different types of communication (4) which essay is in agreement with my personal opinion and (5) the suggestions about communication from the essay. Deborah Tannen and John Gray are two authors who have many similarities. One similarity is the fact that both authors notice that men and women do speak differently. Tannen suggests that the way that men and women communicate is something that is learned from the early stages in life. From childhood, men learn to use talking as a way to get and keep attention. So they are more comfortable speaking in large groups made up of people they know less well-in the broadest sense public speaking. From childhood, girls criticize peers who try to stand out or appear better than others. People feel their closest connections at home Both authors realized men and women have different ways of talking. However, their views on the communication techniques are different. Deborah Tannen suggests that For most men, talk is primarily a means to preserve independence and negotiate and maintain status in a hierarchical social order. Deborah Tannen also suggest that women talk when with one or a few people they feel close to and comfortable with John Gray however says To fully express their feelings, women assume poetic license and use various superlatives and metaphors, and generalizations. Men mistakenly take these expressions literally. Because they misunderstandthey commonly react in an non-supportive manner. John Gray believes men use speech as a way of conveying facts. Women tend to look for support when they are talking, but do not ask for it; they feel the request is well implied. John Gray also theorized that when a man is upset or stressed he will automatically stop talking and go to his cave to works things out. Men are unable to express their feelings as well as women and this is why they go into a cave. Also men do not want to worry their partner. Men try to make their partner happy. Men think that their partner will be happy if they do not have to worry about the man. Women tend to believe that you can never abandon a friend who is upset. It doesnt seem loving to abandon someone when they are upset. Women instantly want to support men in the way they want to be supported, her intentions are good but it is counterproductive. Men show love by not worrying. How to cite Communication between Men and Women, Essay examples
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Modernism in the Old Man and the Sea Essay Example For Students
Modernism in the Old Man and the Sea Essay Outline1 Introduction2 MODERNISM2.1 The Explosion of Modernism: 1910-19303 Characteristics of Modernism3.1 Stream of consciousness3.2 Internal monologue3.3 Realism as a literary technique4 Characteristicsà of Realism Introduction 1. The definition of Modernism Chapter one: 1. The theory of Modernism : Broadly speaking, ââ¬Ëmodernismââ¬â¢ might be said to have been characterized by a deliberate and often radical shift away from tradition, and consequently by the use of new and innovative forms of Expression Thus, many styles in art and literature from the late 19th and early 20th centuries are markedly different from those that preceded them. The term ââ¬Ëmodernismââ¬â¢ generally covers the creative output of artists and thinkers who saw ââ¬Ëtraditionalââ¬â¢ approaches to the arts, architecture, literature, religion, social organization (and even life itself) had become outdated in light of the new economic, social and political circumstances of a by now fully industrialized society. Amid rapid social change and significant developments in science (including the social sciences), modernists found themselves alienated from what might be termed Victorian morality and convention. They duly set about searching for radical responses to the radical changes occurring aro und them, affirming mankindââ¬â¢s power to shape and influence his environment through experimentation, technology and scientific advancement, while identifying potential obstacles to ââ¬Ëprogressââ¬â¢ in all aspects of existence in order to replace them with updated new alternatives. All the enduring certainties of Enlightenment thinking, and the heretofore unquestioned existence of an all-seeing, all powerful ââ¬ËCreatorââ¬â¢ figure, were high on the modernistsââ¬â¢ list of dogmas that were now to be challenged, or subverted, perhaps rejected altogether, or, at the very least, reflected upon from a fresh new ââ¬Ëmodernistââ¬â¢ perspective. Not that modernism categorically defied religion or eschewed all the beliefs and ideas associated with the Enlightenment; it would be more accurate to view modernism as a tendency to question, and strive for alternatives to, the convictions of the preceding age. The past was now to be seen and treated as different from th e modern era, and its axioms and undisputed authorities held up for revision and enquiry. MODERNISM The first half of the nineteenth century saw an aesthetic turning away from the realities of political and social fragmentation, and so facilitated a trend towards Romanticism: emphasis on individual subjective experience, the sublime, the supremacy of Nature as a subject for art, revolutionary or radical extensions of expression, and individual liberty. By mid-century, however, a synthesis of these ideas with stable governing forms had emerged, partly in reaction to the failed Romantic and democratic Revolutions of 1848. Exemplified by ââ¬Ëpracticalââ¬â¢ philosophical ideas such as positivism, and called by various names ââ¬â in Great Britain it is designated the ââ¬ËVictorian eraââ¬â¢ ââ¬â this stabilizing synthesis was rooted in the idea that reality dominates over subjective impressions. Central to this synthesis were common assumptions and institutional frames of reference, including the religious norms found in Christianity, scientific norms found in classical physics and doctrines that asserted that the depiction of external reality from an objective standpoint was not only possible but desirable. Cultural critics and historians label this set of doctrines Realism, though this term is not universal. In philosophy, the rationalist, materialist and positivist movements established a primacy of reason and system. Modernism as a literary movement reached its height in Europe between 1900 and the mid1920s.ââ¬ËModernistââ¬â¢ literature addressed aesthetic problems similar to those examined in non-literary forms of contemporaneous Modernist art, such as painting. The general thematic concerns of Modernist literature are well-summarized by the sociologist Georg Simmel: ââ¬Å"The deepest problems of modern life derive from the claim of the individual to preserve the autonomy and individuality of his existence in the face of overwhelming social forces, of historical heritage, of external culture, and of the technique of lifeâ⬠. The Modernist emphasis on radical individualism can be seen in the many literary manifestos issued by various groups within the movement. The Explosion of Modernism: 1910-1930 On the eve of World War I, a growing tension and , unease with the social order, manifested itself in artistic works in every medium which radically simplified or rejected previous practice. These developments began to give a new meaning to what was termed Modernismââ¬Ë: it embraced disruption, rejecting or moving beyond simple Realism in literature and art. The Great War of 1914-18 marks a fundamental break between the old world and the new. The experience of the war shattered peopleââ¬â¢s faith in society and its institutions. People were horrified by the effects of war and mechanized society in general. They were interested in recovering the unique experience of the individual by exploring his/her inner world. The Victorian moral universe collapsed and was replaced by a climate of moral ambiguity, by a sense of emptiness and lack of values. The Modernist novel broke with most of the conventions which had characterized Victorian fiction. First of all the omniscient narrator as moral guide was replaced by the direct or indirect presentation of charactersââ¬â¢ thoughts and feelings. Secondly many novels no longer followed a linear plot or a chronological sequence of events. The Modernists turned away from the idea of the novel as a mirror of society and from the sense of social responsibility felt by the Victorian novelists. A nove l can be set in one day and the analysis of a single moment can tell us more about a character than a traditional narrative life-story. The development of the Modernist novel was deeply influenced by the theories of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), who proposed a theory of human consciousness as multi-layered, involving different levels of experience and memory. The most significant level was the unconscious, accessible through dreams only. Freud argued that much of manââ¬â¢s conscious behaviour was governed by irrational unconscious drives. This represented a challenge to the idea that the world was rationally ordered. Freud suggested that manââ¬â¢s perception of reality was fundamentally subjective, because man organised the information he received from the outside world according to his interior experience, desires and impulses. Manââ¬â¢s childhood experience therefore had a great influence on his behaviour as an adult because the memory of it was preserved in his unconscious and continued to influence his adult self. Another thinker who influenced the techniques of Modernism was Henri Bergson (1859-1941), who argued that time could not be measured according to units (such as hours, minutes, etc.) because it is a flow, a duration and not a series of points. We do not experience the world moment by moment but in a continuous way. Instead of perceiving time as linear, we experience a mixture of past, present and future in the same moment. His theories contributed to Modernist fiction challenge to the traditional idea of linear narrative. Linked to Bergsonââ¬â¢s notion of time is the psychologist William Jamesââ¬â¢s (1842- 1910) notion of ââ¬Å"stream of consciousnessâ⬠discussed in The Principles of Psychology (1890). Consciousness, James said, ââ¬Å"does not appear to itself chopped up in bitsâ⬠but is something that ââ¬Å"flowsâ⬠. Modernist literature attempted to move from the bonds of Realist literature and to introduce concepts such as disjointed time lines. Modernist literature can be viewed largely in terms of its formal, stylistic and semantic movement away from Romanticism. It often features a marked pessimism, a clear rejection of the optimism apparent in Victorian literature in favour of portraying alienated or dysfunctional individuals within a predominantly urban and fragmented society. Modernist literature, moreover, often moves beyond the limitations of the Realist novel with a concern for larger factors such as social or historical change, and this is particularly prominent in ââ¬Ëstream of consciousnessââ¬â¢ writing or technique. Examples can be seen in the work of among others, earnest Hemingway (1899.1961). Modernism describes a series of reforming cultural movements in art and architecture, , music, literature as well Embracing change in the present, it includes the works of thinkers who rebelled against nineteenth century academic traditions. Modernism in Literature is not a chronological designation; rather it consists of literary work possessing certain loosely defined characteristics. This set modernists apart from 19th century artists, who had tended to believe in progress. Modernism, while it was still progressive increasingly saw traditional forms and traditional social arrangements as hindering progress, and therefore the artist was recast as a revolutionary, overthrowing rather than enlightening. Modernist literature is marked by a break with the sequential, developmental, cause-and-effect presentation of the reality of realist fiction, toward a presentation of experience as layered and discontinuous. To achieve this writers use devices such as fragmentation and juxtaposition, motif, symbol, allusion. The Man Who Would Be King Analysis EssayRealism as a literary technique Broadly defined as the faithful representation of reality or verisimilitude, realism is a literary technique practiced by many schools of writing. Although strictly speaking, realism is a technique, it also denotes a particular kind of subject matter, especially the representation of middle-class life. A reaction against romanticism, an interest in scientific method, the systematizing of the study of documentary history, and the influence of rational philosophy all affected the rise of realism. According to William Harmon and Hugh Holman, Where romanticists transcend the immediate to find the ideal, and naturalists plumb the actual or superficial to find the scientific laws that control its actions, realists center their attention to a remarkable degree on the immediate, the here and now, the specific action, and the verifiable consequence (A Handbook to Literatureà 428). Many critics have suggested that there is no clear distinction between realism and its related late nineteenth- century movement,à naturalism. As Donald Pfizer notes in his introduction toà The Cambridge Companion to American Realism and Naturalism: Howells to London, the term realism is difficult to define, in part because it is used differently in European contexts than in American literature. Pfizer suggests that whatever was being produced in fiction during the 1870s and 1880s that was new, interesting, and roughly similar in a number of ways can be designated as realism, and that an equally new, interesting, and roughly similar body of writing produced at the turn of the century can be designated asà naturalism (5). Put rather too simplistically, one rough distinction made by critics is that realism espousing a deterministic philosophy and focusing on the lower classes is consideredà naturalism. In American literature, the term realism encompasses the period of time from the Civil War to the turn of the century during which William Dean Howells, Rebecca Harding Davis, Henry James , Mark Twain, and others wrote fiction devoted to accurate representation and an exploration of American lives in various contexts. As the United States grew rapidly after the Civil War, the increasing rates of democracy and literacy, the rapid growth in industrialism and urbanization, an expanding population base due to immigration, and a relative rise in middle-class affluence provided a fertile literary environment for readers interested in understanding these rapid shifts in culture. In drawing attention to this connection, Amy Kaplan has called realism a strategy for imagining and managing the threats of social change (Social Construction of American Realismà ix). Realism was a movement that encompassed the entire country, or at least the Midwest and South, although many of the writers and critics associated with realism (notably W. D. Howells) were based in New England. Characteristicsà of Realism * Renders reality closely and in a comprehensive detail. Selective presentation of reality with an emphasis on verisimilitude, even at the expense of a well-made plot. * Character is more important than action and plot; complex ethical choices are often the subject. * Characters appear in their real complexity of temperament and motive; they are in explicable relation to nature, to each other, to their social class, to their own past. * Class is important; the novel has traditionally served the interests and aspirations of an insurgent middle class. * Events will usually be plausible. Realistic novels avoid the sensational, dramatic elements of naturalistic novels and romances. * Diction is natural vernacular, not heightened or poetic; tone may be comic, satiric, or matter-of-fact. * Objectivity in presentation becomes increasingly important: overt authorial comments or intrusions diminish as the century progresses. Interior or psychological realism a variant form. Other Views of Realismà : * The basic axiom of the realistic view of morality was that there could be no moralizing in the novel The morality of the realists, then, was built upon what appears a paradoxmorality with an abhorrence of moralizing. Their ethical beliefs called, first of all, for a rejection of scheme of moral behavior imposed, from without, upon the characters of fiction and their actions. Yet Howells always claimed for his works a deep moral purpose. What was it? It was based upon three propositions: that life, social life as lived in the world Howells knew, was valuable, and was permeated with morality; that its continued health depended upon the use of human reason to overcome the anarchic selfishness of human passions; that an objective portrayal of human life, by art, will illustrate the superior value of social, civilized man, of human reason over animal passion and primitive ignorance (157). Everett Carter,à Howells and the Age of Realismà (Philadelphia and New York: Lippincott, 1954) . * Realism sets itself at work to consider characters and events which are apparently the most ordinary and uninteresting, in order to extract from these their full value and true meaning. It would apprehend in all particulars the connection between the familiar and the extraordinary, and the seen and unseen of human nature. Beneath the deceptive cloak of outwardly uneventful days, it detects and endeavors to trace the outlines of the spirits that are hidden there; the measure the changes in their growth, to watch the symptoms of moral decay or regeneration, to fathom their histories of passionate or intellectual problems. In short, realism reveals. Where we thought nothing worth of notice, it shows everything to be rife with significance. George Parsons Lathrop, The Novel and its Future,à Atlantic Monthlyà 34 (September 1874):313 24. * ââ¬Å"Realism is nothing more and nothing less than the truthful treatment of material.â⬠William Dean Howells,à ââ¬Å"Editorââ¬â¢s Study,â⬠à Harpers New Monthly Magazineà (November 1889), p. 966. * Realism is The art of depicting nature as it is seen by toads. The charm suffusing a landscape painted by a mole, or a story written by a measuring-worm. Ambrose Bierceà The Devils Dictionaryà (1911).
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