The Importance of Being Earnest Review

'The Importance of Being Earnest' Review ​​The Importance of Being Earnest is Oscar Wildes most well-known and best-loved play, as well as being an enormous success in his lifetime. For many people, it is the apogee of Wildes work. Like Wilde, the play is the very embodiment of fin de sieclà © British dandyism. However, this seemingly frivolous play has a much darker side. Its critique of Victorian societythough delivered in a velvet gloveis every inch an iron fist. The play is a satire both of the hypocrisies of the society in which Wilde lived, and the damaging effect that these hypocrisies can have on the souls of those live under their rule. Wilde was to become one of those souls shortly after the first performance of the play when he initiated a libel trial that was to lead to his imprisonment for being a homosexual.​ Overview ofThe Importance of Being Earnest The play is based around two young men, one of whom is an upright young man called Jack who lives in the country. However, in order to escape the drudgery of his highly conservative lifestyle, he has created an alter-ego, Ernest, who has all kinds of reprobate fun in London. Jack says he often has to visit his poor brother Ernest, which gives him his opportunity to escape his boring life and have fun with his good friend, Algernon. However, Algernon comes to suspect that Jack is leading a double life when he finds a personal message in one of Jack’s cigarette cases. Jack makes a clean breast of his life, including the fact that he has a young and attractive ward by the name of Cecily Cardew back on his estate in Gloucestershire. This piques Algernons interest and, uninvited, he turns up on the estate pretending to be Jack’s brotherthe reprobate Ernestin order to woo Cecily. In the meantime, Jacks fiancà ©e, (and Algernons cousin) Gwendolen has also arrived, and Jack admits to her that he is, in fact, not called Ernest, but is called Jack. Algernon, despite his better judgment, also confesses to Cecily that his name is not Ernest either. This causes a good deal of trouble in our heroes love lives, as both women have a rather strange attachment to the name Ernest, and cannot consider marrying anyone who does not go by that name. There is another impediment to the marriages. Gwendolens mother, Lady Bracknell, will not countenance her daughter marrying someone of Jacks social status (he was an orphan who was found by his adoptive parents in a handbag at Kings Cross Station). As Jack is Cecilys guardian, he will not allow her to marry Algernon unless his aunt, Lady Bracknell changes her mind. This seemingly irresolvable conundrum becomes brilliantly solved when, on inspection of the handbag, Lady Bracknell reveals that Algernons brother had become lost in just such a handbag and that Jack must, in actuality, be that lost child. What’s more, the child had been christened Ernest. The play ends with a prospect of two very happy marriages. The Importance of Being Earnest combines a labyrinthine plot, the seemingly irresolvable narrative of a farce, and some of the most comic and wittiest lines ever written. It is, as can probably be surmised from its extraordinary to-ings and fro-ings and its incredibly unlikely resolution, is not to be taken as a serious drama. Indeed, the characters and the setting lack any real depth; they are, first and foremost, vessels for Wilde’s witticisms lampooning the shallow and roots-obsessed society in which he lived.   However, this is not to the plays detriment – the audience is treated to some of the most sparkling verbal wit ever seen. Whether luxuriating in paradox or simply in the ridiculousness created by the plot that Wilde has set in motion, the play is at its best when it is portraying supposedly serious things in an extremely trivial matter.   However, this seeming piece of fluff is enormously influential and is actually a destructive critique of the social mores of the times. The emphasis that is put in the play on surfacesnames, where and how people were brought up, the way that they dressbelies a yearning for something which is more substantial. Wilde can be credited, by producing a piece of polished decadence, with contributing to the destruction of a class-based, surface-obsessed society. Wildes play seems to say, look beneath the surface, try and find the real people stifled beneath social norms. Brilliant, inventive, witty andwhen performedabsolutely hilarious, Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest, is a landmark in the history of Western theater, and probably that writer’s greatest achievement.

Make a Memory Book With Questions to Ask Your Relatives

Make a Memory Book With Questions to Ask Your Relatives Important pieces of a familys history are found only in the memories of the living relatives. But many times those personal stories are never written down or shared before it is too late. The thought-provoking questions in a memory book can make it easier for a grandparent or other relation to recall people, places and times that they thought they had forgotten. Help them tell their story and record their precious memories for posterity by creating a personalized memory book or journal for them to complete. Make a Memory Book Begin by purchasing an empty three ring binder or a blank writing journal. Look for something that either has removable pages or lies flat when open to make writing easier. I prefer the binder because it lets you print and use your own pages. Even better, it also allows your relative to make mistakes and start over with a fresh page, which can help lessen the intimidation factor. Create a List of Questions Be sure to include questions which cover each phase of the individuals life: childhood, school, college, job, marriage, raising children, etc. Get your family into the act and have your other relations and children suggest questions that interest them. These history interview questions can help you get started, but dont be afraid to come up with additional questions of your own. Gather Together Family Photos Select images that include your relative and their family. Have them professionally scanned into digital format or do it yourself. You can also photocopy the photos, but this generally doesnt yield as nice a result. A memory book offers an excellent opportunity to have kin identify individuals and recall stories in unidentified photos. Include one or two unidentified photos per page, with sections for your relative to identify the people and place, plus any stories or memories which the photo may prompt them to recall. Create Your Pages If youre using a hard-backed journal you can print and paste in your questions or, if you have nice handwriting, pen them in by hand. If youre using a 3-ring binder, use a software program such to create and arrange your pages before printing them out. Include only one or two questions per page, leaving plenty of room for writing. Add photos, quotes or other little memory triggers to accent the pages and provide further inspiration. Assemble Your Book Decorate the cover with personalized sayings, photos or other family memories. If you want to get really creative, scrapbooking supplies such as archival-safe stickers, die cuts, trim, and other decorations can help you add a customized, personal touch to the publishing process. Once your memory book is complete, send it off to your relative with a pack of good writing pens and a personal letter. Once they have completed their memory book, you may want to send new pages with questions to add to the book. Once they return the completed memory book to you, be sure to have photocopies made to share with family members and protect against possible loss.

Human Reource management for Samsung Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Reource management for Samsung - Essay Example The organizational structure also determines the approaches used in decision-making. This paper will present a report on the strategies that Samsung can adopt to register high performance and ensure a favorable working environment. Motivation and Reward This section will present an analysis of the motivation and reward procedure used by Samsung. In a bid to motivate its workers, Samsung has a very modern strategy, which offers the workers with a diverse range of possibilities. For starters, the managers in Samsung have made sure that the working hour-schedule suits the employees in conformity to their preferences, a factor that ensures that people are enthusiastic of each day’s work. Employees have a clear ascending path in the company, with the option to remain at the level of an individual contributor or become a manager (Pattanayak, 2005). It gives the employee awareness that if he does a good job, he will very likely ascend in the hierarchy, and receive a bigger salary and extra benefits. It is a strong motivational factor as the employee receives an adequate challenge, and the outcomes of staying with the company. Samsung has adopted a â€Å"pick your package† style of benefits for the employees. ... Moreover, Samsung is working on improving their workplace to offer a free catering, Starbucks gym, and social club on-site. Some optional benefits include social events, holidays, activities within the company, and many more, to maintain a good relationship between the company and the staff. This human resource strategy has shown its viability as evidenced by its adoption by companies such as Google and Kaspersky labs. The feedback collected from the employees indicates a feeling of satisfaction and a will to progress within the company (Pattanayak, 2005). Evidently, Samsung has achieved its goal in terms of motivation and reward. Samsung has also considered establishing goal incentives. This is an additional performance-based pay system to reward employees for improvement in their work efficiency. This system makes use part of the extra profit generated because of the effective performance of the management, human resource, facilities, and technology of our company (Lindholm, Yarris h, &Zaballero, 2012). When a business unit achieves good business performance, it allocates part of the extra profit to executives and employees. Under this system, part of an employee’s salary is determined based on the collective performance of the group. This is a variable reward system, under which executives and employees receive part of the profit in cases where a high performance that exceeds the goal is registered. Organizational Change and Culture This section describes Samsung's organizational change and culture, with admiration to RensisLikert’s participative decision-making theory. According to this theory, employers should seek to allow

Examine the impact of the US economic crisis on the caribbean nations Essay

Examine the impact of the US economic crisis on the caribbean nations - Essay Example In the Caribbean region which is highly dependent on tourism, the effects of the financial crisis have been most felt on the tourism industry, which has been the key driving force of the region’s economy from the start of 1990s.This later on, caused ripple effects to be felt on the other sectors of the economy such as health. Caribbean countries have been making significant improvements and developments in health outcomes, but due to the US economic crisis, this progress has been threatened, by the reduction of the potential to invest in health by both government and households (World Bank 2009b, p.1).Even though there is a mixture up in empirical results, many studies show that the adverse effects of economic crisis is most likely to be concentrated in countries and households that are poor. (ibid, p.9). Outcomes in health and financing in health are mostly affected by financial crises in more complex manners. Thus in several countries such as those in the Caribbean regions health and disability funding highly deteriorated during the US economic crisis, however the result is quite sensitive to existing policy measures aimed at mitigating the economic effects of the crisis. Thus quick and effective responses are required from the international bodies and respective governments will be very crucial in protecting of the vulnerable sick and disabled people from the adverse effects of US economic crisis. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact that the US economic crisis had on the health and disabled fraternity in the Caribbean nations. The paper aims at looking at the impact of the US economic crisis on such social indicators as health and those that are afflicted by disability. It will look at the impact that aggregate fluctuations in income has on indicators of human development, particularly concerning health and the disabled. The results indicate that economic crisis had an adverse

How does the Constitution address the Grievances enumerates in the Essay

How does the Constitution address the Grievances enumerates in the Declaration of Indepence (use only 3 or 4 Grievances) - Essay Example The time went on, and the injuries inflicted upon the American people worsened. The elders of America attended forum over forum and at last addressed the British people, but they were not paid heed to. The King of Britain saw these efforts as alarming and started a ruthless war against America. This was the moment the elders of America were left with no alternative but to go for their separation from Britain (Jefferson and Fink 12-15). It was 1776 that the thirteen colonies of the Atlantic Coast rebelled against their mother kingdom England. They declared their independence and formed a confederation of states. From the very first day of the establishment of the confederation, it was loosely organized. There were no centralized powers to bind the states in a particular way. A think-tank called Congress consisted of the delegates from member states. The purpose of Congress was to make recommendations; however, it had no powers to implement these recommendations. Resultantly, the state s violated the recommendations as well as laws and rules again and again. Time went by and the situation aggravated as the states insisted to retain their sovereignty. There was neither any central judiciary nor any common executive branches of law. Both were necessary for the concept of Confederacy to succeed. After a few years, the experiences revealed that it was no more possible to bind all the states together in one frame. To meet the common ends, the establishment of an effective central government was necessary. In order to frame a joint central constitution, a convention was called in Philadelphia in 1787. They had laid the first stone of the base. The efforts bore fruit when the Constitution came into effect in 1789. According to it, different states had been organized on a federal basis. Today, the United States of America consists of 50 states, all coexisting in harmony. It stands to reason that the way England treat the people of America was unacceptable for them. The Co nstitution aimed at removing the same distresses which had forced them in the past to announce independence. For instance, one of the grievances, as it was highlighted in the Declaration of Independence, complained against the King: â€Å"He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within† (Jefferson and Fink 13). The Constitution of the United States of America provides redress of the said grievance with Section-2 of the Article-I in the words: â€Å"The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states, and the electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for the most numerous branch of the State Legislature† (Kammen 37). Th e Declaration reflects the anger of the people who did not a governor who could provide them the right to vote. The King could not be reached as no representative body existed there for long to bring the people’s miseries to the notice of the sovereign of England. The Constitution provided the people of the American States the right to elect the persons who could fight for them in their cause. They were now able to send their voice to the high towers of

Goodness As A Simple And Indefinable Property Philosophy Essay

Goodness As A Simple And Indefinable Property Philosophy Essay Moores Principia Ehica was the first to claim that goodness is an indefinable non-natural property belonging to a simple intuition. For Moore a property is natural if, and only if, it is detectable by the senses1. Ever since Moore, the debate of what good is has become essential to moral philosophy and meta ethics. Moore, to understand the simple notion of good, puts forth an analogy of the simple notion of yellow. The notion of yellow can only be conceived by those who already understand it, the same applies to good. Moore is contrasting the indefinable understanding of goodness to the indefinable perception of a colors qualia. Qualia is defined as the subjective quality of conscious experience2. We can mention certain properties of yellow: its specific wavelength or frequency. But we cannot mention what the nature of the property of being yellow is. This is because colour is a simple property that cannot be analyzed. To experience colour, we must appeal to our experience. Complex notions, on the other hand, can be defined by their sub-parts and the relationships between those sub-parts. The property of being a horse is an example of a complex object that can be defined because it has many different qualities3. But it can only be defined until it has been reduced to its simplest terms beyond which those simple terms cannot be defined. Since simple terms cannot be reduced any further, they cannot be clarified to anyone who does not already understand them. Yellow and good are not complex, but are simple notions. Moore, in this sense, thinks good is indefinable. Good, as a concept does not correspond to the concepts of pleasure, desire or usefulness. Given that there are things that we call pleasurable as well as good, but we can call a thing pleasurable, desirable or useful and then ask, but is it good? The fact that we are able to ask such a question of a thing with particular qualities of pleasure, desire or usefulness is evidence, for Moore, that good cannot be identical to the concepts of pleasure, desire or usefulness. This is known as the open-ended question problem. Saying that something is pleasurable does not exclude the question, yes, but is it good? The Open Question Argument Moore backs his claim that good is simple and indefinable through the famous open question argument. He argues that good cannot be defined by considering the fact that whatever definition be offered, it may be always asked, with significance, of the complex so defined, whether it is itself good 4. What he means by this argument is that, if we, for instance, equate good with doing what is pleasurable (which seems reasonable) then, Moore points out, that it can still be asked is it good to do what is pleasurable? Therefore, it remains an open question (hence the name of the argument) whether something is good, irrespective of it being pleasurable. Moore accepts that the argument does not demonstrate that pleasure is not the only test for an actions goodness, all it demonstrates is that what is pleasurable cannot be known by simply inspecting the definition of good. What is good has to be known in another way. Moore also formulates the term naturalistic fallacy. Â  Naturalistic fallacy is defined as an intent to classify some things simply being the case to the case of it being good. If something is pleasurable then, this quality alone cannot tell us anything about its being good. The Naturalistic Fallacy According to Moore, if good is simple, indefinable, cannot be analyzed and what is good? remains and open question then an attempt to define the simple notion of good as any other naturalistic notion is to commit the naturalistic fallacy5. To clarify, Moore draws the yellow analogy. Yellow can be defined as a specific wave length but these waves are not yellow. To commit the naturalistic fallacy is a common mistake when attempting to define good. While it may be entirely possible that all things that are good can also be something else, just as yellow things have certain other properties, but to equate these properties to the definition of good is incorrect. Good as an intuition Moore claims that though good is indefinable, it is part of our everyday coherent language. This is because we identify good based on our intuition. MacIntyre objects to this view by saying, how, then, do we recognise the intrinsically good? The only answer Moore offers is that we just do 6. But this would make good a complex notion since for different people good would have different analyzable content. Furthermore, this would be contrary to Moores claim of good being a simple notion. Objections Philosophers such as Mackie, MacIntyre and Nagel do not essentially agree with the naturalistic fallacy or the validity of the open question argument. Mackie, presents an objection to Moore with his argument from queerness. He argues that there is no such thing as goodness and badness. Moreover, he claims, goodness and badness have no properties or qualities that can be reduced to simpler terms since they do not exist. Goodness and badness are meant to properties of objects but they are queerly different to other properties like weight, size or fabric. Mackie concludes that goodness and badness are prescriptive moral terms and intrinsic or inherent properties of things is simply not possible.7 Moore responds by arguing that good is a simple concept of ethics. And all other ethical concepts must be derived from it. Although good cannot be defined, what is good can be defined. Thus, while we do not know the definition of good we can identify which things are good. David Hume says it best, just because something is the case does not by that fact indicate to us that it ought to be the case. Â   Conclusion In my opinion, Moores claim of good being indefinable due to it being a simple and non natural property is an extreme argument to make. If Moore is right, then it would mean that there is no objective way of defining good and that the term is relative to the human species. This fact is hard to reconcile. There would be substantial implications for the way good is discussed at a practical and theoretical level of ethics. Many do not agree with Moores arguments, especially MacIntyre who says, more unwarranted and unwarrantable assertions are perhaps made in Principia Ethica than in any other single book of moral philosophy 8. But we have to accept that Moore has been responsible for raising many issue that have become central to meta ethics today. On the other hand, maybe good is so inherent and intrinsic to the human mind that we cannot completely define it. This would not be surprising as our language is not a rational or precise tool that can be used to comprehensively define one of the most important terms used in ethical discussions today.

The Approach of U.S. Foreign Policy and Terrorism Essay -- Argumentati

The Approach of U.S. Foreign Policy and Terrorism U.S. foreign policy is plunging head first in its war on terrorism. Our focus is expanding and including various dynamics that harbor American interests. By broadening our focus in our war on terrorism, we are beginning to spread ourselves too thin. Therefore, we risk the danger of fighting too many battles at once. Terrorism is a large issue that American foreign policy will not be able to tackle in the manner it has set out to do. Recently, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle voiced his concern over the direction the U.S. is taking in its war on terrorism. He was criticized because his statements are "one of the most critical assessments to date of the U.S. war effort," and therefore "divisive at a time when the country needs to be united," (Bash). Daschle stated the war has been successful up until now, but was concerned the war effort has been spreading "without clear direction," (Bash). Daschle's statement reflects a growing concern in Congress on the expansion of the war on terrorism. U.S. foreign policy and its approach to the war are broadening to include a widening spectrum of terrorist related issues in more regions of the world. Daschle's main concern is that foreign policy initiatives supported by Congress in the aftermath of September 11th are taken as a blank check to expand the war on terrorism. Particularly, in the movement of American troops to regions of the world where events were not considered directly linked to US interests or security threats previously. His argument rests in the lack of communication between the Bush Administration and Congress on war initiatives. For example, despite regular briefing... ...sh.† CNN.com. 3 Mar 2002. www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/03/03/Daschle.terror/index.html â€Å"Georgia: Caucasus flashpoint.† CNN.com. 27 Feb 2002. www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/02/27/georgia.chechnya/index.html Gordon, Michael R. â€Å"Saudis Warning Against Attack by U.S. on Iraq.† Nytimes.com. 17 Mar 2002. www.nytimes.com/2002/03/17/international/middleeast/17CHEN.html Press, Bill. "'Axis of Evil' Reveals Excess of Ignorance." CNN.com. 20 Feb 2002. www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/02/20/column.billpress.index.html â€Å"U.S. expanding war on terrorism.† CNN.com. 1 Mar 2002. www.cnn.com/2002/US/03/01/ret.us.forces/index.html â€Å"U.S. may send troops to Yemen soon, officials say.† CNN.com. 12 Mar 2002. www.cnn.com/2002/US/03/12/ret.yemen.troops/index.html

The Negative Consequences of Deforestation

Earth without forests is a picture that most of human-kind presently could not conceive. Forests cover much of the planet†s land area. They are extremely important to humans and the natural world. However, deforestation has been consuming our forests. Deforestation brings about a lot of unexpected effects on the earth and results in many negative consequences. â€Å"If the current rate of deforestation continues, the world†s rain forests will vanish within 100 years-causing unknown effects on global climate and eliminating the majority of plant and animal species on the planet,† according to NASA†s Earth Observatory. Deforestation increases the greenhouse effect and accelerates global warming. It also causes erosion, and the silting of lakes or rivers is caused by soil erosion. The same source claims that deforestation is very hard to be stopped because â€Å"the causes of deforestation are very complex. † There are several reasons why this current trend exists. Deforestation occurs in many ways. People destroy or degrade forests because, for them, the benefits seem to outweigh the costs. Underlying causes include such issues as poverty, unequal land ownership, women†s status, education and the explosive growth of the population. Immediate causes are often concerned with a search for land and resources, including both commercial timber and fuelwood. One of the main indirect causes of deforestation is poverty, particularly poverty in rural areas. Although poverty is not a â€Å"principal cause† of deforestation, it is a living condition that the majority of people in this world must endure. While greed and power can be the motivations of some groups in society that deforest, survival and the desire to escape from poverty is what drives most people. Poverty is not only the socioeconomic environment that limits people†s economic options, damages health but also reduces income generating opportunities. It is an underlying condition that facilitates deforestation. There is some evidence from the industrialized countries of the North that suggests as societies become more economically secure they reach a point where the economic development pressures that drive deforestation are replaced by a growing environmental concern and a greater appreciation of environmental values. However, for most developing countries that point is off in the far distant future. Most tropical countries are very poor by U. S standards, and farming is a basic way of life for a large part of the population. According to NASA†s article, in Brazil, for example, â€Å"the average annual earnings per person is U. S. $5400, compared to $26,980 per person is the United States (World Bank, 1998)†, and in Bolivia, â€Å"which holds part of the Amazon rain forest, the average earnings per person is $800. † The rural poor have very few options. There are few prospects of off-farm employment in either the urban centers or the rural areas. Illiteracy further limits the options of many because they do not have the basic tools needed to pursue other economic alternatives to subsistence farming. With few alternatives available to them, the rural poor consider forests as a short-term solution to their economic problems. Deforestation happens as a result of poverty. More important than that, commercial logging is considered as the major direct cause of deforestation. NASA†s Earth Observatory asserts that â€Å"logging can occur selectively-where only the economically valuable species are cut or by clearcutting, where all the trees are cut. † The forces of large global markets for wood and wood products drive the scale of logging activities. Logging in the tropics does not in any way resemble scientific forestry and is often characterized by a â€Å"cut-and-get-out† mentality in logging companies. Forestry uses science and management skills to manipulate the natural vegetation to favor the long term production of a selected number of goods and services. In contrast, most tropical logging involves the short term exploitation of only industrial wood products with no eye to the future of the forests. The intensity of logging in Asia†s forests is much higher than in the forests found in America or Europe. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates: â€Å"About half the land area of South America and Europe is covered by forest, but only one-sixth of Asia's land is forested. † And â€Å"a study in Indonesia found that when only 3% of the trees were cut, a logging operation damaged 49% of the trees in the forest,† as the article from NASA has noted. In addition, at the national level, governments sell logging concessions to raise money for projects, to pay international debt, or to develop industry. The logging companies seek to harvest the forest and make profit from the sales of pulp and valuable hardwoods such as mahogany. They use heavy machinery, such as bulldozers, road graders, and log skidders, to remove cut trees and build roads, â€Å"which is just as damaging to a forest overall as the chainsaws are to the individual trees,† according to the same source from NASA. Logging is done because of profits. Not only individual lumberjacks but also logging companies seek material advantage. Therefore, any country that does not have a suitable forest management will gain a higher level of deforestation by commercial logging. As we have seen, the causes of deforestation are very complex. Knowing the main indirect and direct causes help us improve our understanding of the causes and also the effects of climatic and environmental change, so that we may become more effective and efficient managers of our natural resources, as well as mitigate potential impacts from natural disasters.

Cornelius Tacitus - Roman Historian

Cornelius Tacitus - Roman Historian Name: Cornelius TacitusDates: c. A.D. 56 - c. 120Occupation: HistorianImportance: Source on Imperial Rome, Roman Britain, and Germanic Tribes It is the rare fortune of these days that a man may think what he likes and say what he thinks.Histories I.1 Biography Little is known for certain about the origins of Tacitus, although he is believed to have been born, around A.D. 56, into a provincial aristocratic family in Gaul (modern France) or nearby, in the Roman province of Transalpine Gaul. We dont even know if his name was Publius or Gaius Cornelius Tacitus. He had a successful political course, becoming a senator, consul, and eventually governor of the Roman province of Asia. He probably lived and wrote into Hadrians reign (117-38) and may have died in A.D. 120. Despite a political situation that had provided for his personal success, Tacitus was unhappy with the status quo. He lamented the previous centurys reduction of aristocratic power, which was the price of having a princeps emperor. A Challenge to Latin Students As an iconoclastic Latin student, I thought it a blessing that so much of the prolific historian Livys Roman history, Ab Urbe Condita From the Founding of the City, had been lost. Tacitus poses an even greater challenge than volume to the Latin student because his prose is difficult to translate. Michael Grant acknowledges this when he says, the more prudent translators have prefaced their efforts by apologetic reminders that Tacitus has never been translated and probably never will be.... Tacitus comes from the Greco-Roman tradition of history writers whose purpose is as much to promote a rhetorical flourish-filled moral agenda as it is to record facts. Tacitus studied oratory at Rome, including the writing of Cicero, and may have written oratorical treatises before his 4 best-known writings, the historical/ethnographic pieces. Major Works: Agricola (Agricola in English),Germania,Historiae (Histories), andAnnales (Annals). The Annals of Tacitus We are missing about 2/3 of the Annales (an account of Rome year-by-year), but still have 40 out of 54 years. Annales isnt the only source for the period, either. We have Dio Cassius from about a century later, and Suetonius, a contemporary of Tacitus, who, as court secretary, had access to imperial records. Although Suetonius had important information and wrote a very different account, his biographies are considered less discriminating than Tacitus Annales. Tacituss Agricola, written in about A.D. 98, is described by Michael Grant as semi-biographical, moral eulogy of a personage in this case, his father-in-law. In the process of writing about his father-in-law, Tacitus provided a history and description of Britain. Germania and the Histories of Tacitus Germania is an ethnographic study of Central Europe in which Tacitus compares the decadence of Rome with the virility of the barbarians. Historiae Histories, which Tacitus wrote before Annales, treats the period from Neros death in A.D. 68 to A.D. 96. The Dialogus De Oratoribus Dialogue on Orators pits Marcus Aper, who favors oratorical eloquence, against Curiatius Maternus, who favors poetry, in a discussion (set in A.D. 74/75) of the decline in oratory. J.W. Mackails Latin Literature Part III. Chapter III. TacitusTacitus: HistoriesTacitus: The AnnalsTacitus: GermaniaVeleda - as described by TacitusA Summary of Tacituss Works

Women of the Black Arts Movement

Women of the Black Arts Movement The Black Arts Movement began in the 1960s and lasted through the 1970s. The movement was founded by Amiri Baraka (Leroi Jones) following the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965. Literary critic Larry Neal argues that the Black Arts Movement was the â€Å"aesthetic and spiritual sister of Black Power.† Like the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Arts Movement was an important literary and artistic movement that influenced African-American thought. During this time period, several African-American publishing companies, theaters, journals, magazines, and institutions were established. The contributions of African-American women during the Black Arts Movement cannot be ignored as many explored themes such as racism, sexism, social class, and capitalism. Sonia Sanchez Wilsonia Benita Driver was born on September 9, 1934, in Birmingham. Following the death of her mother, Sanchez lived with her father in New York City. In 1955, Sanchez earned a bachelor’s in political science from Hunter College (CUNY). As a college student, Sanchez began writing poetry and developed a writer’s workshop in lower Manhattan. Working with Nikki Giovanni, Haki R. Madhubuti, and Etheridge Knight, Sanchez formed the â€Å"Broadside Quartet.† Throughout her career as a writer, Sanchez has published more than 15 collections of poetry including Morning Haiku  (2010); Shake Loose My Skin: New and Selected Poems  (1999); Does Your House Have Lions? (1995); Homegirls Handgrenades  (1984); I’ve Been a Woman: New and Selected Poems  (1978); A Blues Book for Blue Black Magical Women  (1973); Love Poems  (1973); We a BaddDDD People  (1970); and Homecoming  (1969). Sanchez has also published several plays including Black Cats Back and Uneasy Landings  (1995), I’m Black When I’m Singing, I’m Blue When I Ain’t  (1982),  Malcolm Man/Don’t Live Here No Mo’ (1979), Uh Huh: But How Do It Free Us?  (1974), Dirty Hearts ‘72  (1973), The Bronx Is Next  (1970), and  Sister Son/ji  (1969). A children’s book author, Sanchez has written A Sound Investment and Other Stories  (1979), The Adventures of Fat Head, Small Head, and Square Head  (1973), and It’s a New Day: Poems for Young Brothas and Sistuhs  (1971). Sanchez is a retired college professor who resides in Philadelphia. Audre Lorde Writer Joan Martin argues in Black Women Writers (1950-1980): A Critical Evaluation that Audre Lorde’s work â€Å"rings with passion, sincerity, perception, and depth of feeling.† Lorde was born in New York City to Caribbean parents. Her first poem was published in Seventeen magazine. Throughout her career, Lorde published in several collections including  New York Head Shop and Museum  (1974),  Coal  (1976),  and The Black Unicorn (1978). Her poetry often reveals themes dealing with love, and lesbian relationships. As a self-described â€Å"black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet,† Lorde explores social injustices such as racism, sexism, and homophobia in her poetry and prose. Lorde died in 1992. bell hooks bell hooks was born Gloria Jean Watkins  on September 25, 1952, in Kentucky. Early in her career as a writer, she began using the pen name bell hooks in honor of her maternal great-grandmother, Bell Blair Hooks. Most of hooks’ work explores the connection between race, capitalism, and gender. Through her prose, Hooks argues that gender, race, and capitalism all work together to oppress and dominate people in society. Throughout her career, hooks has published more than thirty books, including the noted Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism in 1981. In addition, she has published articles in scholarly journals and mainstream publications. She appears in documentaries and films as well. hooks notes that her greatest influences have been abolitionist Sojourner Truth along with Paulo Freire and Martin Luther King, Jr. hooks is a Distinguished Professor of English at the City College of the City University of New York. Sources Evans, Mari. Black Women Writers (1950-1980): A Critical Evaluation. Paperback, 1 edition, Anchor, August 17, 1984. Hooks, Bell. Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism. 2 Edition, Routledge, October 16, 2014.

Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Democracy - Essay Example The United States legal system is the foundation of democracy and freedom because it draws boundaries on which rights and freedoms the administration can violate or interfere with. In the United States legal system, human rights are increasingly essential for a harmonious and prosperous society. In the US, because every citizen owns property, the United States laws and the public recognize the principle of property rights. Similarly, the US government ensures that the political rights idea trickles right down to the minority group or citizen. An ethical and religious rights conception appears to be diminishing; therefore, it is crucial to link the rights idea to the public interest. United States legal system has managed to practice this by giving the public political rights since the start, but in some other nations, it may be hard to give the society political rights because they may utilize the rights in an unethical way because they have been deprived of such rights for a long time. The US legal system assures citizens a role in lawmaking to ensure an extensive moral strength of the law. Similarly, in the United States, the public have a personal choice, interest and freedom in obeying the state laws, including the laws they oppose because they realize that, in some occasions, they will give the majority opinion and will condition the minority to adhere to the law. Whereas the powerful may always be the minority, their discomfort is not fatal as their power makes law violation increasingly risky.

Compare and contrast Manifest Destiny and Zionism as ideological Essay

Compare and contrast Manifest Destiny and Zionism as ideological forces - Essay Example The Manifest destiny was the pinnacle for America’s outward expansionism movement which was fueled by many factors. Between 1801 and 1861, exploration was encouraged as America underwent vast territorial expansion and settlement. Thus, westward migration was influenced by geography and economic opportunity. Prior to the Civil War, most industrialization in America was in the North; however, the equipment produced in the North had an impact on the farming society in the South. One of the most significant factors that contributed to the development expansion of the United States was the fertile land that was available in the South. The large plantations in the south gave the rise to slave labor was the fertile farmland in the Midwest enabled United States to accomplish several things. First of all, the invention of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin initiated the rise to slave labor in the rich land that extended beyond from Carolina to Texas, which expanded the United States borde r. The fertile land gave boosted the American economy, which contributed to development of United States. Another key element that enabled USA to expand was the variety of minerals that were abundant westwards. California In order to implement the notion of Manifest Destiny, the innovation of â€Å"white man’s burden† was heavily utilized. Clearly, it was the responsibility of America to tame these â€Å"savages† who were devil worshippers. However, the true cause of expansionism relied on many factors. The country was new and with the advent of industrialization, became a monster that was fueled by innovation, capital, and labor. The country wanted to dominate internationally and show the world the brute power of railroads it possessed. The idea of the Manifest destiny also sprouted from racism in which the white race had to prevail itself as the dominant race. Since God had given the white race the elite title, it was upon the