Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Examine how systems engineers at Northlinks Consultants control access to email files and network communication The WritePass Journal

Examine how systems engineers at Northlinks Consultants control access to email files and network communication Examine how systems engineers at Northlinks Consultants control access to email files and network communication Introduction Q1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What should Gwen do? Lawrence, manager at Northlinks Consultants believes staff spends a lot of time sending ‘personal’ emails to friends and family. As a result, he wants Gwen the systems engineer to help him have access to email files on all PCs in the office. Gwen is faced with mainly a morality issue. The morality issue in this case involves ‘spying’ on employees emails which though may be work related but may also contain information that they would not want in the public domain which Gwen views as a breach of trust. In ethically though, Bourke v. Nissan (www.loundy.com/CASES/Bourke_v_Nissan.html) is an example of a situation where a court has ruled as regards non privacy of emails when it is used on company internal network. Thus, if an e-mail system is used at a company, it belongs to the employer and as such; the employer is allowed to review its contents. These emails also include messages sent both internally (within the company) and externally and web based email accounts such as Yahoo too. As an employee at Northlinks, one may feel like the employer has breached one’s trust if one hears that the employer views their email files. However, if notice is given before such a policy is introduced, the situation might be better managed. It should be noted however that the company has no ethical obligations to inform the staff of the new policy (maybe only moral). Therefore in this regards, Gwen has no option but to do what Lawrence requires and her morals cannot be given higher priority than her work conduct. However, alternatively, Gwen could also suggest to Lawrence that workers should be told their emails are being reviewed so that they can keep private talk outside of work emails. Furthermore, Gwen may go ahead to let staff know about the ‘new’ policy before it is implemented. Another alternative for Gwen is to hand the job to another member of the team at least for this task if her morals cannot handle executing the task. Q2 Professional Codes of conduct as developed by Professional bodies are mainly a set of guidelines designed to show acceptable behaviour for members of the body. One virtue could be that adhering to professional ethics gives satisfaction to members of that group. As such, as a member of that body, in addition to having the satisfaction of meeting other requirements, one also gets the satisfaction of remaining a member because one has kept to the ethical codes of the body. Another virtue is highlighted in the fact that for most bodies, as one rises in degree in the body implies also the number of years he/she has spent adhering to the ethical standards. As such, one who has fully kept the standards of the body to the fullest is also most likely to be one in the top ratings of the body. For instance, a chartered Engineer would have kept within the codes of ethics of the engineering Society to get to that level and as such is accorded more respect in that field. Short comings of these ethical codes may be summarised in two subheadings – Enforceability and Vagueness. Vagueness – Most ethical codes are vague. This is actually a ‘quality’ of such codes as their vagueness helps in giving it room for interpretation. In most organisations, this interpretation is done by top level members. For example, the C.R.12 of the IMechE code of ethics states that â€Å"Members shall act honourably, responsibly, and lawfully so as to uphold the reputation, standing and dignity of the profession in general and the Institution in particular†. What does the term ‘act honourably’ imply? Does it mean that members of this body cannot be involved in say, a civil protest? Can that be termed as not acting honourably? Enforceability – like every law, ethical codes need to be enforced to be effective. However, for bodies like the IET, ImechE, etc., enforcing these codes on every member can be a hideous task. Unfortunately, when this is not done properly, the codes cannot be effective. As can be seen from the above, while having an ethical code has its virtues, it also has its short comings. However, the short comings while valid and can be misinterpreted and misapplied, like in the example given of the IMechE C.R.12 code. An example is the Goodrich A-7 brake case in 1972 (Harris, Pritchard and Rabbins 2009) when Goodrich corporation won a contract for the supply of brakes for the Navy A-7 aircraft. Testing showed clearly that the design would not function correctly based on Government regulations but Managers tried to trick government into thinking the design worked correctly. Searle Lawson (a young graduate Engineer) and Kermit Vandivier both working for Goodrich understood that their professional ethics mandated that public safety must be paramount in all decisions, informed the FBI which then informed Government Accounting office. Goodrich immediately fired Vandivier and Lawson had to resign. Keeping to the Engineering codes cost Lawson and Vandivier their jobs. If they had not reported the case, they may have kept their jobs but lives may have been lost as in the DC-10 case also in 1972 (Harris, Pritchard and Rabbins 2009). Ethical codes help keep Engineers on their toes giving them ‘laws’ to refer to when litigations arise. Therefore, this writer feels that having professional ethics do not in any way, outweigh not having them. Q3 According to an online resource (wiktionary), Ethics is â€Å"the study of principles relating to right and wrong conduct or standards that govern the conduct of a person, especially a member of a profession†. In essence, within every profession lies a set of standards or ‘ground rules’ which guard that profession and which every member of that profession must adhere to. Any member of the profession who goes against these set standards can be dismissed or where possible, his membership of the profession can be cancelled. These set of ground rules are said to be the Ethics guarding that profession. Bower (notes) lists that ethical standards would typically include: A Code of Ethics Legal Requirements Moral and Personal Values Morality on the other hand is an ‘adopted’ set of rules and regulations or code of conduct within an environment for what is right and wrong. In modern society, morals have formed the spine of modern society especially in the case of religion. It should be noted that morals define an individual’s character while ethics are more guidelines for a group or society which members must follow and which morals are applied. An example can be seen in the case of a lawyer whose personal morals may define murder as a crime that should be punished but whose professional ethics expect him to defend an accused as vigorously as possible. With the advent of the internet and revolution in the Information Technology, there has been a need for the introduction of ethics or guidelines to guard against abuse. These ethics known as cyberethics is a code of responsible behaviour for using the Internet. Internet ethics however refer to code of conduct guarding against inappropriate use of online resources. Online resources could be documents in online libraries, etc. An example of inappropriate use of online resources could be sending of spam messages (RFC 1087). Computer ethics overall cover the way computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct (Bynum 2005). This as we can see is not restricted to the use of computers as in the case of Internet and Cyberethics, but covers the individual professionals themselves and how the conduct themselves. Like Margaret Anne Pierce and John Henry said, these ethical decisions related to computer technology and usage can be categorised thus: The individuals own personal code. Any informal code of ethical behaviour that exists in the work place. Exposure to formal codes of ethics. Q4 There are some key issues involved in this article. The bridge had reached a critical stage which according to Engineer A’s recommendation and expertise suggestions by a consulting and inspection firm, required urgent repairs. The current state of the bridge also meant that it was a danger to the general public and so it was closed. However, probably due to the inconvenience caused by closing the bridge, the idea of closure did not go down well with the public and closure signs were ignored and when permanent signs were placed, the public protested. Also may be due to public outcry, the bridge was reopened with a limit on load going over it and which Engineer A has clearly seen is being ignored. As it stands, due to the reopening of the bridge, there is a danger to the general public. One of the fundamental Canons of a many Engineering codes including the American Society of Civil Engineers says that â€Å"Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and shall strive to comply with the principles of sustainable development in the performance of their professional duties†. This engineering code request that the safety and welfare of the public be placed paramount in every situation. This implies that even in the situation where comfort is sacrificed, in this case, the inconvenience of having to go around the bridge, the welfare and safety should be put first. In addition, it can be seen that the Commission may have been swayed by political motives in the reopening of the bridge. Engineer A’s duty as dictated in another fundamental Canon of Civil Engineering code – â€Å"Engineers shall act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance the honour, integrity, and dignity of the engineering profession and shall act with zero-tolerance for bribery, fraud, and corruption†. This means that irrespective of public outcry or the pressure on him by politicians to reopen the bridge, Engineer A must maintain his stand and by putting the welfare of the public first. He should make his dissenting views known to the County Commission even if it is just for him to have a clear conscience. References Online resource. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ethics sourced 10/03/2011. Dr. Bowers’s Notes from the 4 Ethics Articles taken from Engineering Dimensions, Magazine Sourced online from http://web2.uwindsor.ca/courses/bondy2/lectures/ethics.pdf on 01/03/2011 Bynum, Terrell Ward. A Very Shory History of Computer Ethics. Southern Connecticut State University. Archived from the original on 2008-04-18. http://web.archive.org/web/20080418122849/southernct.edu/organizations/rccs/resources/research/introduction/bynum_shrt_hist.html. Retrieved 10/03/2011. Margaret, A, Henry, J. â€Å"Computer Ethics: The Role of Personal, Informal, and Formal Codes†. Journal of business ethics. Sourced online from springerlink.com/content/m3201253822641r0/ on 12/03/2011. Harris C.E., Pritchard M.S., Rabbins M.J. 2009. â€Å"Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases†. Fourth Edition. Wadsworth Engage Learning, Belmont, USA.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Critical Thinking Exercises for Students

Critical Thinking Exercises for Students Critical thinking is a skill that students develop gradually as they progress in school. While the skill becomes more important in higher grades, some students find it difficult to understand the concept of critical thinking. The reason critical thinking can be difficult to grasp is because it requires students to set aside assumptions and beliefs to learn to think without bias or judgment. Critical thinking involves suspending your beliefs to explore and question topics from a blank page point of view. It also involves the ability to distinguish fact from opinion when exploring a topic. These exercises are designed to help develop critical thinking skills. Critical Thinking Exercise 1: Tour Guide for an Alien This exercise provides an opportunity to think outside your normal way of thinking. Pretend that you have been assigned the task of conducting a tour for aliens who are visiting the earth and observing human life. Youre riding along in a blimp, viewing the landscape below, and you float over a professional baseball stadium. One of the aliens looks down and is very confused by what he sees. You explain that there is a game going on and he asks several important questions. What is a game?  Why are there no female players?Why do people get so excited about watching other people play games?What is a team?Why cant the people in the seats go down on the field and join in? If you try to answer these questions fully, it will quickly become apparent that we carry around certain assumptions and values. We support a certain team, for instance, because it makes us feel like were a part of a community. This sense of community is a value that matters to some people more than others. Furthermore, when trying to explain team sports to an alien, you have to explain the value we place on winning and losing. When you think like an alien tour guide, you are forced to take a deeper look at the things we do and things we value. Sometimes they dont sound logical from the outside looking in. Critical Thinking Exercise 2: Fact or Opinion Do you think you know the difference between fact and opinion? Its not always easy to discern. When you visit websites, do you believe everything you read? The abundance of available information makes it more important than ever for students to develop critical thinking skills. Additionally, its an important reminder that you must use trustworthy sources in your school work. If you dont learn the difference between fact and opinion, you may end up reading and watching things that continue to reinforce beliefs and assumptions you already own. For this exercise, read each statement and try to determine whether it sounds like a fact or an opinion. This can be completed alone or with a study partner. My mom is the best mom on earth.My dad is taller than your dad.My telephone number is difficult to memorize.The deepest part of the ocean is 35,813 feet deep.Dogs make better pets than turtles.Smoking is bad for your health.Eighty-five percent of all cases of lung cancer in the U.S. are caused by smoking.If you flatten and stretch out a Slinky toy it will be 87 feet long.Slinky toys are fun.One out of every one hundred American citizens is color blind.Two out of ten American citizens are boring. You will probably find some of the statements easy to judge but other statements difficult. If you can effectively debate the truthfulness of a statement with your partner, then its most likely an opinion.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

MARKETING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

MARKETING - Essay Example Which is why we attend colleges and vocational education? A career is a journey not a destination. It is made up of a series of job profiles that a person has to fulfil before he attains his goal. Therefore, it is very important for a person to have a clear idea about what he wants to accomplish. Every job includes certain tasks, duties and responsibilities. In order to execute a job one needs to have certain skill sets. Through a reflective commentary one can analyse the skill sets that a person has to inculcate in order to reach his career goal. This can be done through a proper analysis of one’s skills and abilities. First and foremost, a person should define clearly what his career goal is. No analysis is complete without accurate determination of one’s career goal. Then one should know exactly the skill sets that are needed to achieve that goal. After that a person should do an introspection of his skills and abilities. If he has the required skills matching his ca reer goal, he should look for avenues for its development. If he does not have the skills he should look for developing them through self development, training and counselling. I am a student of Westminster University which is located at London in the United Kingdom. I am studying International Business with Spanish. I have certain strengths and weaknesses. My strengths are self confidence, the ability to think high, the ability to work in a team. The area of my weakness has been my introvert nature. Also, at times I get confused under pressure. I believe that my educational background and also my attitude provide me certain opportunities in life. I believe in learning from others and acquiring experience. Experience can also help me to acquire more ideas and knowledge. Besides knowledge of International Business, I am also well versed in the maintenance of aircraft. I have got a rich and vivid work experience. I have worked in Saudi Airlines along

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Project Entpreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Project Entpreneurship - Essay Example there are many cases of teen pregnancy on more than one occasion† (Anand 2011, para. 1). We could refer many studies and surveys conducted around the western countries regarding teenage pregnancy. It would certainly prove that teenage pregnancies are increasing as well as abortions too. In developing countries it is related with child marriages, but in western countries it is related with before marriage sex relations. So in order to prevent this, certain measures should be taken and implemented. So we planned to conduct a campaign in NHS Bedfordshire. NHS Bedfordshire schools are part of healthy school programs and they have taken many measures to ensure the health of young people. They already have a teenage pregnancy unit, known as Bedfordshire teenage pregnancy unit. So our plan is to conduct a campaign in Bedfordshire campuses in order to create strong awareness against teenage pregnancy and to prevent it. Business Project: The current business project that we are aiming a t is the various kinds of ways to effectively plan and implement the planning programme. The planning program, in this context, is the discussion on an illegal activity namely the teenage pregnancy. ... The discussion on the campaign is mainly aiming to create the awareness on the teenagers, especially the boys with the main intention of eradicating teenage pregnancy. Various methods are identified for the reduction of the teenage pregnancy, but before that there are various problems identified and they have to be  clearly understood and steps have to be taken accordingly for reducing teenage pregnancy. The main problem found behind teenage pregnancy was the single parenting culture in the UK country. The single parenting of the children may lead to the various adverse effects on the behavior of the child and they may lead to the various mal practices like the usage of the drugs, alcohol and prone to various kinds of syndromes, which lead to the dynamic life styles and culture. The main reasons for a teenager falling into certain kinds of acts are due to the non-controlling of them and they doesn’t not find adequate time for successful parenting. The various kinds of abstin ence approach can help the children in reducing the teenage pregnancy. We should be able to educate the teenaged children about those approaches accordingly and should give proper guidance on sex issues prevailing in the country and the after effects of those actions. Sex education should be made compulsory among the teenagers and they should be given complete advices and suggestions on preventing teenage pregnancy and to prevent themselves from any kind of the abuse. A proper counseling should be given to children as well as the parents about how to prevent pregnancy. Sexual education should be given priority and use of contraception methods should be conveyed to the teenagers and to the parents for proper behaving. Volunteering and various legal aids should be imposed to the teenage

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Fast Food Essay Essay Example for Free

Fast Food Essay Essay America’s obesity is caused by numerous factors, that which are viewed differently by people. For example, many different people believe the problem of obesity is caused by over eating, increased portion sizes, lack of nutrition, and how fast food companies are going after children. These problems are all considered to be immense problems of obesity. Though, different people may believe only one of the followings is a major cause. Thus, it is of importance to discuss the reasons why. First of all, portion sizes from fast food restaurants have dramatically increased over the course of a few decades. In the article, â€Å"By Any Other Name, It’s Still a Supersize,† the author, Lisa R. Young, states that, â€Å"In the last few years, Hardee’s, Burger King and Wendy’s all have introduced 1,000-calorie-plus sandwiches stuffed with 12 ounces of beef – the amount of meat recommended for two days for most adults.† This shows that one meal can be more than half the average calories needed for individuals in a single day. Instead, people should avoid large quantities of food and should eat healthier. Consequently, big portion sizes are one of the factors of obesity. Second, fast food companies are deliberately targeting children as they are easy targets to go after. Kelly Brownell, the author of â€Å"Are Children Prey for Fast Food Companies?† says how Happy Meals from McDonalds are served with toys. These toys are advertised and are served with low nutritious food. â€Å"Only 12 of 3,039 possible kids’ meal combinations meet nutrition criteria for preschoolers.† However, if fast food companies would serve healthier foods to children, like fruits and milk, the statistics would increase. Also, these foods are high in sugar, and fat. Ultimately, companies targeting children with unhealthy food and toys can lead to a higher rate of children being obese or diabetic. Strangely enough, fast food mimicking fast casual places may actually be better and healthier due to its fresher ingredients. Julie Jargon writes the article, â€Å"Fast Food Aspires to ‘Fast Casual’†; and she states that fast food restaurants are up scaling their food. â€Å"In the hope of appealing to more-sophisticated consumers, fast-food chains are moving beyond simple cheeseburgers and tacos, adding fancier ingredients such as portabella mushrooms, citrus-herb marinated chicken, and pepper bacon.† This upgrade may be attracting more customers to the fast food industry, but they will be attracted to healthier foods. Therefore, it may not be as much as a leading cause as of obesity as other things. In conclusion, fast food companies have changed America for the worse over the course of a few years. Fast food places mostly have high fat and low nutritious portion sizes that shouldn’t be eaten daily. Families shouldn’t eat fast foods as much as they think they should, and instead should result in eating healthier, fresher products. Alternatives to fast food places may dramatically decrease obesity in America. America’s obesity epidemic may be led by the fast food industries.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Christianity According to St. Augustine and Machiavelli Essay -- essay

In St. Augustine’s book entitled Political Writings, one could see that Christianity plays a very important role in his view of politics. His opinion on the morality or lack of morality in politics, to me makes it more evident that Christianity persuades his views. Although it seems his writings have become quite well known and admired, not everyone fully shared his beliefs. Niccolo Machiavelli, for instance, seemed to believe in a government that was not driven by morality, but more by practicality. In, The Prince, Machiavelli stresses that the moral fibers of government should not be so soft. Like St. Augustine, his work went on to become one of the most famous books ever written about politics. Throughout the two works there are some similarities and differences regarding politics, however it their view of Christianity and morality that many find most intriguing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After reading St. Augustine’s book it seemed to me that he had very little interest in politics as a whole, but he did seem to have a a great interest on the moral problems that plagued them. The books that make up this work come from one of his previous works entitled, The City of God, in which Augustine discusses many different aspects of the city. Augustine’s view of Christianity in regard to politics was due to the moral decline of the Roman Empire and the effect of this decline on the still faithful Christians. Augustine blamed the pagan gods and their lack of concern for the moral character which defined those who worshiped them. He also makes a reference to Plato’s Republic, in regards to the way Plato wanted to banish the poets from his city in speech. Augustine also felt that there should be strong censorship of the poets when writing about the gods because they made fools out of them. Augustine is also very concerned with the amount of people who in past invasions of their homelands escaped by lying about being Christians and then turned their backs on Christ when the danger had subsided. Augustine’s work also raises the question of why mercy is extended to the pious and ungrateful. Augustine responds by reminding everyone that, â€Å"The sun rises upon the good and evil, and the rains fall upon the just and the unjust.† The book also discusses Gods patience with humans and how the choice to repent ones sins lies within the man. He tells how some will recognize... ...in things, I do think it is safe to say that they are both Christians. Although, without question St. Augustine is more in touch with his faith, he seems to be less in touch with politics. Machiavelli on the other hand does not separate man from what he sees to be his natural state of morality but uses it to the advantage of politics. When discussing Moses and his helping the Israelites escape to the promise land, Machiavelli mentions the miracles of Christ and states that God has done his part and it is time for humans to do theirs. This leads me to think that he believes politics should not lack God but work in conjunction with him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To me St. Augustine is not educated only in his faith, but in the faiths of others as well and he shows no discrimination but more concern with how they are led morally in their beliefs. Machiavelli, however seems to be content with the use of religion as tool to secure the strength of the state. After fully reading the work I do not feel as though Machiavelli is as anarchical of a person as some would be led to think. I think he just had a better understanding of human nature and how it is commonly applied to politics.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

History book report Essay

It is the circumstances and the characters of the founding â€Å"brothers,† their ideological as well as personal conflicts that created the US as a nation. SUMMARY Here is a presentation of US History—the creation of a new nation that does not attempt to consolidate events into a general account that suggests the inevitability of the Declaration of Independence but examines history in light of a handful of episodes involving central personages, their passions and conflicts that reveal as much of the creation of the nation after the Constitutional Convention. At one end were the Federalists including Washington, Hamilton and Adams who believed that revolution was a necessary step in order to build US nationhood as embodied by the newly established federal government. On the other were the Republicans including Jefferson and Madison who saw revolution in its liberating character, holding the Declaration of Independence as most sacred, in contrast to the Federalists who consider the Constitution most dear. At that time, there was no notion of valid opposition. Both sides thought about the other’s position as treasonable. These are the circumstances that surround the duel between Hamilton and Barr, which led to the former’s death and cost the latter’s political career. These are the circumstances that led to Washington’s non-acceptance of a third term as well as Jefferson’s treacherous vilification of his friend, John Adams. This high level of political tension led to the compromise in 1790 to appease the Southern states, as a result of fear of the states’ secession (despite both parties’ belief that slavery was inconsistent with the principles embodied by the Revolution). In all stages of these events, the characters were aware of that they were in fact, making history. BOOK REVIEWS 1. In Bobrick’s (2000) review of the Founding Brothers, he compared the Ellis’ style to Lytton Strachey, the author of Eminent Victorians. But according to him, Ellis was different in a way that the latter never veered towards making a caricature of the characters. He described the book as â€Å"splendid†¦ humane, learned, written with flair and radiant with a calm intelligence and wit. † He also guaranteed that even those who are familiar with the â€Å"revolutionary generation† will find the book to be both captivating and enlightening of the first years of America as a nation. 2. Meanwhile, Hodgson (2002) said that Ellis’ method made possible the retention by general readers of their interest in a highly-intelligent discussion of 18th century politics. He thinks that The Founding Brothers is one of those rare books/analyses that can be read for pleasure. But despite these comments, he also notes that Ellis’ work suffers the characteristics of â€Å"American Exceptionalism† and failing to acknowledge Britain’s version of history. The Independent, where Hodgson’s review was published is a British newspaper. REACTION TO BOOK REVIEWS There is nothing surprising about the positive reviews gained by The Founding Brothers. After all, with the pervasiveness of the linear or historiographic approach, there is no doubt that the book’s manner of presentation can be characterized as a breath of fresh air. Ellis’ novel approach enabled him to indirectly give a general and probably in many ways, different accounts of history by being able to pick only six of all specific stories that could have contributed to history. This indicates not only deep knowledge of the personal lives of some characters as some reviewers point out, but also indicates a deep insight of what transpired in history as well as what as its implications and consequences. While it is true that Ellis was able to make the book more interesting to the general readers, it is arguable that the book’s â€Å"indifferent† to others’ version of history is an issue. Ellis does not claim to represent to be a version of other nations’ histories or any nation’s history for that matter. At best, what Ellis book attempts to represent is his own interpretation of history considering everything that he studied, and analyzed both as writer, researcher and historian. ENLIGHTENING Interpretations of history can be different depending on the manner of its presentation. In schools, and even in colleges, these founders are usually depicted as saints, sometimes even to the point of idolatry. Ellis presentation of these founders is an attempt to humanize them in the minds of the readers. In the end, they are not depicted purely as models of idealism, motivated by pure goodwill and love for the country, but as politicians who regardless of their real motives are affected by conflicting circumstances, and sometimes real ambition. ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT The book is already enjoyable as it is despite whatever flaws it may have. One reviewer notes the fact that some point of views, particularly those of the British were not taken into account. The writer personally do not think that such alteration, or any alteration for that matter would be necessary to cause a significant change on the effect that the book had to the readers. References Bobrick, B. (2000). The Brethren. New York Times Online. Retrieved 28 April 2009 from http://www. nytimes. com/books/00/12/10/reviews/001210. 10bobrict. html? scp=1&sq=founding%20brothers%20review%20ellis&st=cse. Ellis, J. (2001). Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. Alfred Knopf: New York. Hodgson, G. (2002). The Apostles of the US Brought to Life. The Independent Online. Retrieved 28 Apriil 2009 from http://www. independent. co. uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/founding-brothers–the-revolutionary-generation-by-joseph-j-ellis-750973. html.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Batman: the Dark Knight Film Analysis

Batman: The Dark Knight Batman: The Dark Knight directed by Christopher Nolan is non-stop action thriller that continually did the unexpected. The film is based off of the original Batman comic book but additionally changes the perception of the everyday world as good to naturally bad. Throughout the movie, Batman stands for honesty and goodness while the Joker is a symbolism of chaos and evil. Both sides are forced to make quick-witted decisions in order to stop the opposing vigilante from doing his desired work. The citizens of Gotham are put in the heart of this circumstance and feel obligated to go against their values to stop the chaos. Numerous people habitually pursue their dreams and values but often become blinded from their true intentions by the world they exist in. To understand the circumstance the citizens of Gotham are placed in we must first understand each side they are being pulled from. First is the good side, represented by Batman/Bruce Wayne and played by Christian Bale. He stands for everything good and has one personal rule as a superhero that prevents him from killing any person. Batman believes the law must punish the immoral so he stays in the shadows of the night. The law depends on Batman to do the work they legally cannot do. So Batman makes it possible for the law to easily come across these criminals even when they run beyond national borders. These unlawful acts committed by Batman are easily looked past due to bright light always surrounding him. There are many scenes in which the lighting shows the goodness of Mr. Wayne. His underground office wear all his superhero work is done has a ceiling purely of bright white lights. No other part in the movie has this much lighting. Also, the bright Batman light on top of the building is a symbol of good around the city. When the light is shinning many criminals second guess crimes they have always committed. Furthermore, Bruce Wayne is always looking through the windows in his home that radiate with natural light. Batman’s suit may be completely black but this is in order to be a stealth hero through the night. When looking closer at these night time scenes each one consists of Batman standing in the darkness but always with a very bright light somewhere nearby. Secondly is the bad side, represented by the Joker and played by Heath Ledger. From first sight of the Joker you know he is wicked. He wears a purple suit coat, green vest, green tie, and a patterned gray shirt. His hair is always a mess and black make-up surrounds his eyes. These are all dark colors but they are not to hide in the darkness of the night such as Batman’s outfit. He is not trying to hide; he wants to prove people how evil he really is. The Joker also has a piercing voice that is not forgotten combined with an evil laugh that shows his true ecstasy. He has no limits and thrives to do the unexpected just to see how people will react. Christopher Nolan begins this movie with ordinary people wearing a Joker mask while they are robbing a bank. Each member of this mob is shot after they do their part of their job until the real Joker becomes the last one standing. This first scene in the film is pure evil and captivates the audience quickly although I believe the director is trying to create early signs of symbolism. These ordinary men believe if they wear this Joker mask they are some how something they never could be on their own. The next scene also symbolizes something similar to the robbery scene but on the opposite side of the spectrum. The mob is meeting when all of a sudden multiple want-to-be batmen try to engage in the action to stop the wickedness. They too are wearing costumes and masks just like Batman’s creating a clear relation between the outfit and super human power. The real Batman even states at the end of this scene when asked what is the difference between him and the other phony batmen, â€Å"I am not wearing hockey pads! † Early in the film it is evident people are trying to be something they are not causing themselves pain and in even some cases death. If the fake batmen wouldn’t have worn that attire they would have never stood up to the mob and created the clash that the real Batman was forced to fix. The abilities of the two vigilantes in the city captivated many people and they starting forgetting who they really were. The city in Gotham is in chaos. They no longer know what they stand for and are starting to wonder if fighting evil is, in fact, creating more evil. One man who stands strong even when the public is second-guessing is Harvey Dent played by Aaron Eckhart. He is the new district attorney and is respected by the entire city for stopping corruption all over the town. He is a clean-shaven man with blonde hair and blue eyes who presents himself as a very proper man. This mise en scene proves that this man is a good man. If he were unshaven, had dark eyes, and dark hair it would be hard to consider him a truly good man. The director realizes this may not be true with everyone but it is a typical stereotype in our society today. As the movie goes on the enemy, who is forcing him to second-guess his values, tests him time and time again. Being an honest man is no longer putting criminals away; they are always one step ahead. By the end of the film, the Joker crushes Harvey’s values and blinds him from what his true goals were in life. His two-sided face shows this visually after being burned in the explosion. Also, Harvey has a coin with a head printed on both sides. This coin never can land on tails but Harvey claims to people, â€Å"I make my own luck†. This symbolizes his values and how he believes he can accomplish anything at this point in the movie. After an explosion kills his girlfriend, he reclaims the coin but one side of the coin is now completely black. Harvey at this point, mad at the world, flips the coin to put others life up to chance. He no longer says he will make his own luck; the coin flip is now up to chance. The worldly things in life ruined Harvey to the point that he becomes better off dead. Once the noblest man in the city, Harvey Dent becomes caught between choosing the law or his own way in order to bring to an end wrongdoings. Alongside Harvey are the commissioner and the city police department. They too are uncertain of how to stop the turmoil in the city of Gotham. They are put directly in the middle between choosing Batman’s side or the Joker’s side, which is pure evil but made very appealing through his trickery. Members of the police department are overwhelmed with life and corruption floods through them. Some could use an extra few dollars here and there to have the easy way out but they failed to realize that taking shortcuts would always catch up to them in the end. The once good cops of Gotham soon can no longer be trusted due to the Joker blinding their true values. Not only are the once good people of Gotham confused, the mob is also. Due to all the imprisonment of mob leaders there wasn’t anyone â€Å"on top† of the streets. Criminals no longer knew whom they were working for or what they were working for. This is visually shown in the movie when the Joker burns all of the money that had been stolen by the mob earlier. He claims the money is not what brings the mob together; it is the brutality and wrongdoing throughout the city. The entire movie is filled with a confused mob. Even from the beginning the mob does not know what to do with their money or what criminal action to take next. The greatest visual symbolism in the movie is the Joker’s mask. It is often mistaken that â€Å"good† is happiness when really the evil is hiding underneath. The Joker’s makeup is white symbolizing purity and good along with his smile that is scarred into the sides of his lips. All the pain the Joker is feeling inside is covered by this phony smile and pure colored face. He even states an example of this when describing how he got the scars of his face, â€Å"why so serious? The Joker does not know who he really is or what he is trying to do. He is in confusion just as the rest of the city. Another illustration of visual symbolism is the boat scene toward the end of the movie. There are two ships, Liberty and Freedom, each having a completely different set of individuals. In this scene the director portrays the natural human and the confusion in each o f us. Did they not blow up the other ship because they cared for others or were they scared for their own sake? This proves once again that this city is in confusion and is blinded from the chaos that is happening. Luckily there were a few people who stood up for their values at this critical time and proved to everyone else that values will stand the test of time if you stay true to them. Each character in this movie had goals and values, whether it was to take crime off the streets, create chaos, or just be a good human being. When things didn’t go as planned or as usual these characters became tested to do what was right. Many fell to what they never wanted to be while Batman stayed strong throughout time. In the scene where Batman and the Joker are in the interrogation room and Batman is ready to kill. It is not an accident that the lighting is so bright. It reminds Batman what he stands for even in the darkest times and keeps him from breaking his one and only rule. He could have ended everything there with one punch but knew taking the short cut would not pay off in the end. This is what makes Batman the true superhero of the movie. We must put our wants and needs behind what is right in many situations in life in order to truly reach our goals. Bibliography Nolan, Christopher, Dir. Batman: The Dark Knight. Dir. Christopher Nolan. † Warner Bros: 2008, Film.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The American Judicial System

The American Judicial System The American judicial system is perceived as one of the most independent judicial systems around the world. However, there are factors which negatively influence the operations of the judiciary in exercising legal matters. In this essay, I will explore why I believe the independence of the American judicial system is compromised.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The American Judicial System specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The fact that federal judges are approved by senate after being nominated by the president puts at stake the independence of the American judicial system and the conduct of its judges. This largely discredits the selection of federal court judges as the process of selection may not be transparent and may even take a political dimension. Moreover, approval of judges by senate (after appointment by the president) means that the executive arm of government exercises control over the judiciary. This put s into question the ability of the judicial system to exist independently (OConnor and Sabato, 200). For example, an election petition by Algore, challenging the re-election of George Bush, was shot down in unclear circumstances perceived to be politically instigated. In addition, O’Connor and Sabato use Hamilton’s quote to emphasize the vulnerability of the Judiciary. They suggest that the American Judicial System â€Å"neither has the power of the sword nor the power of the purse† (OConnor and Sabato, 330). This jeopardizes formulation and implementation of policies. According to OConnor and Sabato, federal court judges are appointed in a political process and are never subjected to voter approval. They can only be removed from office by impeachment. Certainly, impeachment of a judge who is biased is almost impossible (OConnor and Sabato, 302). This instills doubt on the ability of the American judicial system to exercise judicial matters independently. When o ne critically analyzes the profile of federal court judges, it is clear majority have held political offices, for example positions of prosecutor and campaign strategist. The profiles of these judges influence how they vote on judicial matters. Therefore, the voting process may be influenced by extralegal factors including political influence, corruption, attitude, public opinion and the ideologies held by judges (OConnor and Sabato, 245). The influence of judges by factors mentioned above means that judges are unable to exercise impartial judgement.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since there is lack of independence in the American judicial system as explained above, it is important to subject federal court judges to approval by the public. This should apply to the whole judicial system including state courts. For example in California, such measures exist as judges are su bjected to approval by the public, can be removed by a committee on judicial performance, and run for elections every six years (OConnor and Sabato, 328). According to OConnor and Sabato, Article III of the United States constitution establishes the Supreme Court where all judicial power is vested and covers life tenure on the part of judges. Moreover, this article establishes the compensation of judges so that they exercise judicial matters without being compromised. Though the key objective of this article was to address the limitations of the article of confederation that relied on the state for judicial matters, it has done little to check existence of bias in the judiciary (OConnor and Sabato, 187). According to OConnor and Sabato, the power of the courts to ascertain if laws or other legal matters contravene the constitution (judicial review) is not mentioned in the constitution. Furthermore, judicial review has been minimally used and even abused. For example, it has been use d minimally to challenge powers of congress but maximally as a tool to make state legislative acts toothless by invalidating them (OConnor and Sabato, 301). From the above argument, it is clear the American judicial system is almost toothless and it exercises legal matters in the midst of influence. Though the federal courts in the United States are very powerful today, they exercise their power to serve the interests of various quarters which may be extra political or intra-political. This jeopardizes the independence of the judicial arm of government as entrenched in the constitution. OConnor, Karen, and Larry Sabato. Essentials of American Government: Continuity and Change. Longhorn Publishers, 2010. Print.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Everything You Need to Know About The Cask of Amontillado

Everything You Need to Know About The Cask of Amontillado SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips As you prepare for the AP Literature exam, one of the things you’ll have to do is become an expert in a few literary works that you can use on the composition portion of the exam. We recommend that you choose four to five notable works with different genres and themes to make sure you can write an amazing student choice essay. (Actually...practicing analyzing literature will help you on the whole exam, not just the written portion, so it’s a win-win situation!) But just because these works have to be â€Å"notable† with â€Å"literary merit† doesn’t mean they need to be boring, too! That’s why we’re talking about Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† as a good choice for your AP exam. Not only is it widely recognized as an excellent piece of literature, it’s got a little of everything: horror! Suspense! A surprise twist! And as an added bonus...it’s short. To bring you up to speed, we’ll start with â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† summary, then we’ll jump into character and thematic analyses. By the time you finish this article, you’ll be able to write fearlessly about â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† on your AP exam. A photograph of Edgar Allan Poe. Historical Background: Who Was Edgar Allen Poe? Critics consider Edgar Allan Poe to be the father of the detective story (thanks to â€Å"Murders in the Rue Morgue,† which predates the Sherlock Holmes stories by more than 50 years!) and a pioneer of the American short story. But despite his literary success, Edgar Allan Poe’s life was marked by tragedy. Orphaned just a year after his birth in 1809, Poe was taken in by John and Frances Allan (who weren’t blood relatives). Frances Allan and Poe fought often, usually over money, and Poe would flirt with poverty throughout his life...especially after he was cut out of John Allan’s will. Poe tried to go to college but couldn’t pay for it, so he dropped out. This was a blessing in disguise, since it kicked off Poe’s writing career. Fueled by both his passion and the death of his older brother, Poe moved back to Baltimore to become a full-time writer. There, he married his cousin- Virginia Clemm- who was just 13 at the time of the marriage. (Poe was 26!) By all accounts, the couple was happy until Virginia’s death thirteen years later. Poe would never recover from her death and would pass away two years later, shortly after turning 40 years old. Poe’s life might have been short, but his writing has lived on. Although Poe was a poet, literary critic, essayist, short story writer, and novelist, he is most well-known today for his grisly stories of terror and the macabre. Most of Poe’s works fall into the Gothic genre, which is characterized by a sense of terror, doubt, and the uncanny. The genre was incredibly popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Poe’s writing would make him one of the best-known writers of Gothic horror. Here's what amontillado looks like! The Cask of Amontillado Background â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† is one of Poe’s most famous short stories, and it was originally published in 1846 in Godey’s Lady Book, the most popular periodical in the United States at that time. Though scholars aren’t 100 percent sure what inspired Poe’s short story, many believe it’s based on a story he heard while stationed at Fort Independence in Massachusetts in 1827. At that time, Fort Independence had a statue of Lieutenant Robert Massie, who had been killed in a sword duel following a card game, on the premises. As legend has it, after Massie’s death, other soldiers took revenge on his murderer by getting him drunk and permanently sealing him in a vault...alive. A more popular theory is that Poe wrote â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† in response to his personal rival, Thomas Dunn English, who had written a scathing critique of one of Poe’s novels. â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† skewers elements from English’s novel, 1844, including making references to the same secret societies and subterranean vaults featured in English’s work. Others believe that â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† was inspired not by a person, but by a widespread fear of being buried alive. Because medicine was in its infancy, sometimes coma victims were assumed to be dead and were buried accordingly, only to awake in their coffins days later. People started inventing easy-open coffins, burial vaults with windows, and even coffins with breathing tubes attached to save people who were prematurely buried. And of course, the fear of being buried alive- only to die in your own coffin- is echoed in the plot of â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado.† Regardless of what inspired Poe to write â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† the fact remains that this short story remains one of his most famous and enduring works of Gothic terror. The Cask of Amontillado Summary Now that you know a little bit about the background of Poe’s short story, let’s take a look at the plot of the text. (You can find a free, legal copy of â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† online by clicking here.) The Story Begins Poe’s short story actually takes place in two time periods. The bulk of the events occur on the night of Carnaval, which is a Western Christian celebration that takes place before Lent. Carnival is a celebration of excess- of food, drink, and fun- before the restriction of the Lenten season sets in before Easter. (In the United States, the Carnival season is better known as Mardi Gras.) But the story is told in retrospect by the narrator, Montresor, fifty years after the event to an unknown listener (only referred to as â€Å"you† in the story). That means that there are actually two different time frames happening in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado.† Setting the Trap Readers learn that Montresor is planning to take revenge on his one-time friend, Fortunato. Readers never learn exactly what Fortunato has done to Montresor to push him over the edge, only that Montresor feels he is the victim of a â€Å"thousand injuries† and one unnamed â€Å"insult† he must avenge. Readers also learn that Montresor has hidden his rage in order to convince Fortunato that they are still friends- which is all part of his plan. On the night of Carnival, Montresor puts his plan into action. He knows that Fortunato considers himself a wine connoisseur, so Montresor isn’t surprised that Fortunato is already drunk when he finds him in the middle of the Carnival celebration. Montresor tells him about a pipe, or about 130 gallons, of Amontillado he bought. (Amontillado is a fine sherry wine.) But now that he has the wine, Montresor is afraid that he was duped. He tells Fortunato that he was on his way to find Luchresi- another wine connoisseur- to help him determine the wine’s authenticity. Entering the Vaults Montresor’s ploy works. Montresor knows that Fortunato is full of himself, and the idea that someone could judge the Amontillado pricks his ego. As a result, Fortunato insists on checking the Amontillado himself. Montresor half-heartedly tries to dissuade Fortunato, telling him that going into the catacombs, or underground vaults where generations of the Montresor family are buried, will worsen Fortunato’s head cold. Fortunato waves off Montresor’s concerns, saying that he â€Å"shall not die of a cough,† and he follows him into the vaults to taste the Amontillado anyway. As the men venture further into the dark, underground passageways, Montresor makes sure that Fortunato keeps drinking. Fortunato asks about the Montresor family’s coat of arms, and Montresor tells him that their family motto is â€Å"Nemo me impune lacessit,† or â€Å"no one attacks me with impunity.† Fortunato is so drunk that he misses the warning in Montresor’s words, and instead asks whether Montresor is a member of the masons, a fraternity with an elite membership. Montresor says yes and holds up a mason’s trowel, implying that he’s a literal mason instead. Fortunato thinks Montresor is joking, and by the time they arrive at the niche where Montresor says he’s stored the Amontillado, he’s too drunk to notice that there’s no wine inside. He doesn’t even resist as Montresor chains him to the wall. The End of Fortunato Montresor then reveals the bricks and mortar he has stored in the vault, and he begins to wall up the opening to the niche...with Fortunato chained inside. The process is a long one, and Montresor describes Fortunato’s fearful cries and attempts to pull free from the chains. But Montresor is determined, and he throws a lit torch into the niche with Fortunato before he finishes walling him in alive. By this point, Fortunato is panicked. He’s screaming for help, but the pair are so far underground that there’s no one to hear him. He tries to appeal to Montresor’s logic, saying that he’ll be missed by â€Å"Lady Fortunato and the rest.† Montresor is unmoved, finishes sealing up the vault, and leaves Fortunato there to die. Montresor finishes his story by telling the listener that there Fortunato’s bones remain, fifty years later. mninha/Flickr â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† Character Analysis Read on for an in-depth analysis of the major characters in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado.† Fortunato Fortunato’s name means â€Å"the fortunate one† in Italian, which is ironic given that he ends up bricked within the Montresor catacombs and left to die. This is just one example of the dramatic irony that permeates the short story. Dramatic irony is when the reader knows something that one or more of the characters don’t know. In this case, readers know what Montresor plans to do, but Fortunato remains ignorant. This creates tension in the short story. As a reader, you want to yell at Fortunato to run away, but you can’t. The thrill of â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† comes from knowing exactly what will happen and being powerless to stop it. Other than the fact that he seems to have wronged Montresor somehow, readers learn very little about Fortunato directly. Everything we know about his character we have to infer from Montresor’s descriptions of Fortunato and his actions. For example, we know Fortunato thinks he and Montresor are friends, and they likely were at one point. But we also know that Fortunato is â€Å"rich, respected, admired, beloved,† and happy, according to Montresor, at least. But he also seems to be egotistical and self-indulgent; he drinks to excess, has no qualms talking badly about other people (like Luchresi), and thinks he’s the best wine connoisseur around. Ultimately, whether or not Fortunato’s character flaws are enough to warrant Fortunato’s fate is up for readers to decide. Montresor Montresor is the main character of â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† and the story is told in first person from his perspective. Like Fortunato, readers know very little about Montresor’s backstory outside of what they can infer from the text. For example, Poe implies that Montresor seems to come from money- he lives in a palazzo, which is basically an Italian palace, which has its own crypt. But Montresor’s actions tell readers even more about his character. First, he’s driven by revenge. He doesn’t take insults lightly, and he’s able to nurse a grudge to an extreme degree. He’s also witty- he makes double entendres about Fortunato’s death that the latter never catches- and knows how to plan ahead, too. But most importantly, he lacks remorse. At the end of the story, Montresor ends with an exclamation, â€Å"In pace requiescat,† which means â€Å"rest in peace.† Montresor is proud of what he’s done...and even prouder that he hasn’t been caught. As a result, his final wish for Fortunato comes across as sarcastic rather than sincere. All of this together makes readers question Montresor’s role in the story. At the beginning, he seems like he’s the protagonist: he’s a man who’s been terribly wronged looking for revenge. But by the end of the story, it’s not clear whether Montresor is the story’s hero...or its villain. Luchresi Luchresi never appears in the story, but he plays a vital role in Montresor’s plan. Luchresi is clearly one of Fortunato’s rivals, if not in reality, then at least when it comes to his expertise in wine. Montresor plays this rivalry to his advantage. He keeps mentioning Luchresi’s name to motivate Fortunato and keep him interested in the Amontillado, especially since he’s drunk and his attention keeps wavering. (Keep in mind that Luchresi is an innocent bystander in all of this- Montresor is just borrowing his name and reputation.) Poe uses the mention of Luchresi’s name to remind Fortunato- and the readers- what’s happening. Unnamed Listener Like we mentioned earlier, â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† is a story told in retrospect. An older Montresor is speaking to an unnamed listener, recounting how he killed Fortunato in revenge. Readers know nothing about the listener, only that he’s Montresor’s audience in telling the story. But from an analysis standpoint, the listener is important. It reminds us that Montresor is telling this story to someone else, and in doing so, trying to communicate his personal perspective. It makes readers question whether Montresor is telling the whole truth, too. Was Fortunato really as bad as Montresor says he was, for example? Because the story is told from Montresor’s perspective- and likely with an agenda in mind- readers are left wondering if Montresor’s account is totally accurate. Brandon Heyer/Flickr The 3 Key The Cask of Amontillado Themes â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado" is considered one of Poe’s best short stories, and with good reason: it melds tension, horror, and surprise together masterfully. But what are the messages of Poe’s story? Let’s look at three of major themes of â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† below. The Unreliability of Perception Think of a time that you did something you knew your parents would punish you for. When you explained the situation to your parents, how did you do it? More than likely, you tried to downplay your actions (without lying!) to make the consequences a little less severe. This is a good example of how perspective matters. For your parents, what you did is a serious offense. But if you could just offer a different perspective on things, maybe you won’t be grounded for quite so long! In â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† readers are presented with Montresor’s perspective of the story. He tells readers he’s been wronged- for what, he doesn’t say- and paints an unflattering picture of Fortunato. Even though Montresor says he’s rich and well liked, Fortunato’s actions make him seem like a stuck-up, overindulgent idiot. But is that accurate? Because we only get Montresor’s side of the story, it’s hard to know. It’s up to the reader to decide how reliable, or trustworthy, Montresor is as a narrator. Do we believe him and his argument that killing Fortunato was the only way to have his revenge? Or is Montresor just a cold-blooded killer? By making the readers ask these questions, Poe draws attention to the idea that people’s individual perspectives on a situation aren’t necessarily 100 percent accurate. The Danger of Pride Although Montresor is responsible for Fortunato’s death, the latter has a hand in sealing his own coffin, too. Even though he’s drunk and sick, the mention of Luchresi’s name triggers Fortunato’s massive ego. The idea that anyone could be better than him- especially Luchresi, who can’t â€Å"tell Amontillado from sherry†- drives him to follow Montresor into the catacombs. Despite wanting to kill Fortunato, Montresor gives his victim many chances to turn back. Montresor cites Fortunato’s cough, saying that it might be best to ask for Luchresi’s help instead. But each time, Fortunato says he wants to push forward because he cannot stand Luchresi getting credit for determining whether the Amontillado is authentic. It’s his pride that makes him want to beat Luchresi, but in the end, it’s his pride that makes him lose. The Power of Revenge Perhaps the scariest aspect of â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† is how far Montresor goes for revenge. In many ways, what Fortunato has done to warrant Montresor’s wrath is immaterial; Poe is more interested in how revenge drives a man to extremes. In this case, it’s clear that Fortunato’s perceived wrongs have dominated Montresor’s thoughts and actions. His plan to kill Fortunato is highly premeditated: he’s clearly put a lot of thought into how he will do it, right down to making sure he has bricks and mortar handy to entomb Fortunato alive. This is not a spur-of-the-moment, in-the-heat-of-passion action. No, Montresor has thought long and hard about his plan. Given this, Poe shows readers how powerful the need for revenge can be. Not only can it drive people to extremes, it can warp their sense of reason, too. After all, short of murder, what insult could Fortunato have delivered to warrant such a gruesome death? Could it be that Montresor’s desire for vengeance, rather than Fortunato's actions, are what allows Montresor to justify murder? Ultimately, because the whole story is written from Montresor’s perspective, Poe doesn’t give readers any clear answers. But in doing so, Poe also shows how the truth is often obscured by people’s perceptions and motivations. Now What? It’s great that you’re preparing for the composition part of the AP Literature exam, but don’t forget that there’s a multiple choice section, too. Get the skinny on the multiple choice section- and how to ace it!- here. One of the best ways to practice for any exam is to take practice tests. Did you know that there are practice exams for AP tests, too? Here’s a list of practice tests for the AP Literature exam that you can take to help you study smarter. Now that you’re well on your way to taking an AP English exam, why not try your hand at some other AP tests? Here’s a comprehensive list of all the AP classes and tests you can take to help earn credit for college. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Ashley Robinson About the Author Ashley Sufflà © Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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Sunday, November 3, 2019

Paraphrase articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Paraphrase articles - Essay Example In addition, negotiating a research proposal together with electing some concern for the research to dwell on occurs. Therefore, after addressing and alluding to all these, a strong base for the action research project, is usually laid. A University of A Coruna and a Faculty of Education don, Bello, E. in March 2000, started an action research project. After the initiation of the project, establishing what features must be possessed by the school became a central issue. Stake (1998) as cited by Bello (2006) offered principles that may assist researchers in their school choices. Some particular principles mentioned comprises the stage, which the research will focus on, is instructed at that specific school. Prospects for knowledge that is new will be obtained through; selecting this specific school, various academic or educational programs that are provided at the school, together with/or geographical position is most favorable for study (Bello, 2006). The choice of Bello was informed by the prospects to obtain knowledge that is new. The criteria that Bello viewed as important for selecting a school to conduct the action research project was fulfilled by Andaina Municipal Nursery School (Bello, 2006).Thus, this specific school is reliant on local administration, supervised by teaching cooperation, and was in the course of building a new nursery, primary as well as secondary school at that given time. In addition, teachers in Andaina Municipal Nursery School appreciated teamwork and there was existence of an open invitation for the involvement of parents. The selection of materials was on the basis of need with the existence of a clear admiration not only of the Galician language but also its culture. Apart from the above-mentioned features or recommended criterion to be on the lookout for in consideration of prospective schools to carry out research, it is also essential to look for an individual at a school enthusiastic to work on the project